Coach Roy's Other Random Thoughts

Parsons - O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright

2012-02-10T03:03:37Z

Willaim Parsons performs James Woodman's setting of this 15th century hymn, "Wie Schon Leuchtet" on the Flentrop Organ at Messiah Lutheran Church of Germantown MD February 5, 2012

Parsons: The Star Proclaims the King is Here

2012-02-10T02:56:29Z

William Parsons plays the 14th Century Hymn tun Wo Gott Zum Haus on the Flentrop Organ at Messiah Lutheran Church, February 5, 2012.

Pastor Hill - Saved to Serve

2012-02-08T04:23:01Z

Pastor R. Birk Hill's sermon from February 5th 2012 based on the Gospel of St. Mark Ch 1 v: 29-39.

Messiah Gallery Choir - O Christ the Healer we have Come

2012-02-06T03:43:45Z

It Used to be The Curse of the Wildcats - NU in the Superbowl

2012-02-01T15:16:22Z

It went from "none" to 3 of 12 Northwestern University Wildcat alumni who played for teams that made the Superbowl and got a winner's Ring and over the History of Pro Football, the NU Wildcats even have a better record in the AFL and NFL Championships. Here's the full story, including a list of NU Alums who have played in the NFL/AFL Championship games since 1933.

Note: This was accurate as of 2006, at least 4 former NU Wildcats have now earned rings at the Super Bowl - Trai Essex (2 - Steelers), Zack Streif (Saints), Barry Cofield (Giants) and Matt Ulrich (Colts).

There's a dubious Northwestern record that finally ended in 2006.

Here at Purple Reign we called it the "Curse of the Wildcats" but originally it was called the "Wildcat Factor" in some west coast newspapers, a story thread started by a comment from long time NU fan Jim [the Haze] Bendat, that "no team with a Northwestern Alumnus on its active roster had ever won the Super Bowl."

Jim was right then, and through the 2005 season, ten NU Alums had made it to the big game, playing in fifteen of them, and all but one a loss for their respective team. Three other Alums are listed by NU as playing for Super Bowl teams, but were injured and did not play in the games. It doesn't matter, their teams also lost.

Finally, the 2006 Super Bowl marked the end of the curse, as former Wildcats' Trai Essex (Pittsburg) and Kevin Bentley (Seattle) were on the field for that game. Essex' team won that night and the "curse" was over.

The worse player record in the "super game" is held by Steve Tasker [left], who played in four losing efforts with the Buffalo Bills. NU Alums Steve Craig and Jim Lash played on the Viking team that lost to Pittsburgh in 1975.

But the Cats are not without wins in NFL Championship games.

NU's Otto Graham [below] played in an NU record 6 NFL Championships for the Cleveland Browns, 1950-1955, and won 3. New York Giant [and NU] great Ray Wietecha played in 5 NFL Championships 1956-1952, including the 1958 game with Baltimore, called the greatest game every played.

Over in the AFL, Houston Oiler Mark Johnson played in the first AFL Championship, a win over the Chargers. If you run down the lists below, you'll find that a Northwestern alum has been present, and participating in many of of the great Pro Football Championship games in the past.

We don't have records of the Canadian League, although several NU Alums have also played in that league's Grey Cup Championship game.

To start off, here are the 13 Wildcats who were eligible to play in the Super Bowl and their game information:

Previous Super Bowls

Darryl Ashmore - Oakland Raiders 1998-2002:
2002 - Injured Reserve (Raiders lost)

Kevin Bentley - Seattle Seahawks 2005-06
2006 - Seattle lost to Pittsburgh

Bob Christian Atlanta Falcons 1997-2003:

2002 - Injured reserve
Barry Cofield - New York Giants 2007 -2009

2008 Win over New England

Steve Craig Minnesota Vikings 1974-78:
1975-Sub in loss to Pittsburgh 16-6
1977-Sub in loss to Oakland 32-14

Trai Essex - Pittsburgh Steelers 2005-09
2006 - Inactive for the win over Seattle
2009 - Played in the win over Arizona

2011 - Eligible to play in this year's game.

Napoleon Harris Oakland Raiders 2002-04
2003-Started at MLB in Raider's 48-21 Loss to Tampa Bay

Jim Lash Minnesota Vikings 1973-76
1974-Caught one pass for 9 yards in 24-7 loss to Miami
1975-Started at WR in 16-6 loss to Pittsburgh.

Luther Morris Denver Broncos 1997

Not active or on game roster for game
Zach Streif New Orleans Saints 2010
Played in Saint's win over Indianapolis

Steve Tasker - Buffalo Bills 1986-97
1991-Special Teams in 20-19 Loss to NY Giants

1992-Special Teams in 37-24 Loss to Washington .

1993-Caught 2 Passes for 30 yards in 52-17 loss to Dallas .

1994-special Teams in 30-13 loss to Dallas

Matt Ulrich - Indianapolis Colts 2006-07
2007 - on depth chart for game with Chicago, Win for Colts

Fred Williamson - Kansas City Chiefs 1965-67
1967-Started at CB in 35-10 loss to Green Bay in Super Bowl I.

As for the Curse:

The Steelers won in 2006 with a former Wildcat on their roster, although Trai Essex was actually inactive for the game, which starts the argument about whether you have to be active for the "curse" to officially be broken. Meanwhile, Matt Ulrich was active in 2007 for Indianapolis' win over Chicago. Barry Cofield played for the 2008 Giants, winners over New England, Essex won again in 2009, and Zach Streif played in theSaint's win over Indy in 2010

Below is a listing of the Northwestern Players who played in the old League Championships, prior to the start of the Super Bowl in 1967 [following the 1966 season].

The Oldest League, the NFL, only lists Conference Championship results from 1933 on, the AFL started in 1960 and merged into the NFL for the 1971 Super Bowl. I'm sure some NU Alums played on NFL Championship teams prior to 1933 - that's our next research project.

By the way, Northwestern Alums have a 16-17 record in the NFL Championship games, 2-3 in the AFL. We added up each player's won-loss record, even if two Cats played in the same game.

The Original National Football League - 1933-1965

Alf Bauman - [0-1] Philadelphia Eagles 1947, Chicago Bears 1948-50

Philly lost to the Chicago Cardinals in 1947.

(Bauman changed teams, to the Chicago Bears and the Eagles beat LA in the 1948 game.)

Larry Benz - [1-1] Cleveland Browns 1963-65)

1964 - Browns 27 Colts 0

1965 - Green Bay 23 Browns 12
Hank Bruder - [2-0] Greenbay 1931-39 - Played on two NFL Champs.

1936 Packers 21 - Redskins 6
1939 Packers 27 - Giants 0
Andy Cvercko [1-0] Green Bay 1960, Dallas Cowboys 61-62, Cleveland Browns 1963, Washington Redskins 1963

1960 Eagles 17 Packers 13
Bill DeCorrevont [1-1] Washington Redskins 1945, Chicago Cardinals 1947-48

1945 Browns 15 Redskins 14
1947 Cardinals 28 Eagles 21
(Traded to the Bears during the 1948 season and missed the Cards win)

Paul Engebretson [2-1] Green Bay Packers 1934-41

1936 Packers 21 Boston 6
1938 Giants 23 Packers 17
1939 Packers 27 Giants 0
Ezra Gene Gossage [1-0] Philadelphia Eagles 1960-??
1960 Eagles 17 Packers 13
Otto Graham [3-3] Cleveland Browns 1946-55 - played in 6 straight NFL Championships

1950 Browns 30 Rams 28

1951 Rams 24 Browns 17

1952 Lions 17 Browns 7

1953 Lions 17 Browns 16

1954 Browns 56 Lions 10

1955 Browns 38 Rams 14
Luke Johnsos [1-2] Chicago Bears 1929-37

1933 Bears 23 Giants 21
1934 New York 30 Bears 13
1937 New York 28 Bears 21
Edgar Manske [0-1 ] Phila Eagles 1935-36, Chicago Bears 1937-38

1937 Redskins 28 Bears 21
Ernest "Pug" Rentner [0-1] Boston Redskins 1934-36, Chicago Bears 1936-37 Traded during the 1936 season, missed the loss to Green Bay.

1937 Redskins 28 Bears 21
Vic Schwall [1-1] Chicago Cardinals 1947-50

1947 Cardinals 28 Eagles 21

1948 Eagles 7 Cardinals 0
Robert Swisher [2-1] Chicago Bears 1938-42

1940 Bears 73 Redskins 0
1941 Bears 37 Giants 9
1942 Redskins 14 Bears 6

Ray Wietecha [1-4] [#55 above] New York Giants 1953-62

1956 Giants 47 Bears 7
1958 Colts 23 Giants 17
1959 Colts 31 Giants 16
1961 Packers 37 Giants 0

1962 Packers 16 Giants 7

American Football League - 1960 - 1965

Ron Burton - [0-1] Boston Patriots 1960-65

1963 Chargers 51 Patriots 10
Mark Johnston [2-1] Houston Oilers 1960-63, Oakland Raiders 1964/NY Jets 64

1960 Oilers 24 Chargers 16
1961 Oilers 10 Chargers 3
1962 Texans 20 Oilers 17
Larry Onesti [0-1] Houston Oilers 1962-65

1962 Texas 20 Oilers 17

Information is from the Super Bowl Boxscores and Conference Championship Results pages of the NFL's Super Bowl XL Web Site, and Page 164 of the 2005 Northwestern Football Media Guide.

What happened to Pastor Hill and the music?

2012-01-28T14:41:55Z

Nothing, I grabbed the wrong file Wednesday and didn't get the service.

I will do it this Sunday and we'll have both out there for you.

Sorry for the mixup, but I did get a new audio editor that lets me take crying kids out of the sound file. We should get more music now.

rsl

U.S is only 47th in Freedom of the Press?

2012-01-28T14:38:34Z

A story in the Daily Mail - “US Falls to 47^th in Press Freedom Ranking”,,,

Complains that the US “authorities” suppress the reporting efforts of those trying to cover the Occupy movements and therefore the freedom of the press, the first item in our Bill of Rights apparently was discarded, at least in the opinion of the Paris based organization, “Reporters without Borders.”

According to the story:

The country with the freest media in the world was Finland, followed by Norway, Estonia, the Netherlands and Austria. Eritrea was last, with North Korea just above.

Interesting choices, countries not known for big outdoor demonstrations where riots break out rank highest in freedom of the press, even though many don’t guarantee that in their constitutions.

So My first question to the “reporters without borders” where; On those arrested (more likely detained) covering the Occupy activities.

Were they participating in those mini riots?
Were they also inciting people to act in an illegal manner?
Were they participating in the illegal activities to incite other “occupiers” so they could embellish a story?

If the answer is "yes", then in my opinion, they lost some of the credibility to be called "reporters." In the 60’s, there were numerous events that were later found to have been staged by TV camera people so an demonstration would seem bigger (or smaller) and make better video on the TV.

I really do support the idea that news people should be protected while covering a public event, but at the same time, they shouldn’t be trying to make a story bigger by inciting people around them to do something outrageous.

And active participants can’t be called “reporters” just because they say they are. Sending tweets from an occupy event doesn’t count, even if the guys doing it think they deserve protection from being arrested for doing something illegal.

Every time a "Progressive gets" arrested for doing some illegal, they claim “Freedom of Speech” and “Freedom of the Press” as the reason they were doing what they were doing. Those freedoms are there to guarantee that a story will get out without government censorship.

They were not intended to allow law breakers a pass when they get caught.

Maybe they need a course in J School to teach the future journalists the difference? Naw, these guys wouldn't take that course anyway.

Here is the Link to the Original Daily Mail Story

And the full link if you need to copy it to read it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091948/U-S-falls-47th-press-freedom-rankings-Occupy-crackdown.html#ixzz1kbaXnZEb

7 Wins for Postseason Bowling?

2012-01-26T21:36:46Z

There's an article on the CBS Sports Website - The NCAA might Require 7 wins for a team to achieve post season college bowl Eligibility

The article does raise the possibility that several of the present bowls might have to go away.

Now, besides the fact that this rule change appears aimed at both the Big 10 (12) and the SEC....

Requiring a winning record to become bowl eligible is probably a good thing, altho it could potentially cut down my alma mater's (Northwestern's) bowl appearances but maybe it would help us finally win one again. An NU 7-5 team coming out of the Big 10 would be potentially playing a more closely matched team from somewhere else.

But the loss of bowls means we wouldn't have the Papa John's Vegetarian Pizza Bowl any more? Or the Stihl Chainsaw Humanitarian Bowl? (that's about what the lesser bowls have become)

Yes, the NCAA should allow December (or early January) practices to level the field a bit. My only concern is for the players who are hurt at the end of the season.

There might be a tendency for underclassmen who are dinged up from the season, to practice when they should be mending. A kid who is hurting might needlessly strain an injury in an attempt to maintain his position going into the Spring Drills.

But as long as teams use the December Bowl workups to actually train next year's starters, fairness dictates that either they reduce the number of those pre-bowl practices, force the teams to work on their starters the same as they would during the regular season, or let everyone have the December practices.

IMHO of course.

Where Does Newt Go?

2012-01-25T15:09:58Z

So far, I'm not on record as being for or against any particular GOP candidate in this year's election.

But I'm starting to get a little upset with all the media sniping at Newt Gingrich over the so called Ethics Violations he was accused of, then was exonerated over, because he taught a class on politics and political theory during his time as Speaker of the House.

I guess the Demos were upset that they hadn't thought of it first, although you can make the case that every other PolySci course in college is a ringing endorsement of big government, and social engineering - things central to a Democrat Party regime.

However, if you really want to find about all this, check out Byron York's piece in the Washington Examiner:

What really happened in the Gingrich ethics case?

If you read it, you will come away thinking that the Democrats in the House are still a bunch of sore losers. Ms. Pelosi, the WWE, hints at more exciting goodies to come out of her reading of the files, but it's probably more of the titillating trash that is a hallmark of any Obama political campaign (Thanks Mr. Ayers).

And to echo the words of that former Republican Administration Cabinet Secretary, "Where do I go to get my reputation back?"

Is he a Marxist? or a Muslim?

2012-01-22T15:37:39Z

You see it is very hard to be both.

It is similar to the Holy Roman Empire, something that may have had its roots in Rome, but was far from "holy" as Christians now believe while singing "Holy, Holy, Holy..."

Marxism, while actually described in the New Testament (Acts), at its core denies the belief in ANY god, be he (or she) be called Allah, Jehovah, The God of Israel, The Father of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus, I mean any and every god save the overwhelming power of masses. Remember, "Workers of the World, Unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains?" The people will achieve some kind of "heaven on earth" run by "the people" for "the people."

True perfect Marxism has no government, and no leadership. It exists as some kind of heaven on earth where everyone works to provide for the common good, regardless of what that common good is. Yes, you need a dictatorship to impose the masses' will on everyone else, but that is supposed to fall away, eventually.

The problem is that once you get the masses all worked up against the present leaders, and that someone rises up to direct those masses towards the eventual goal - how does the leader know when to step down? When the people throw the leader out? And guess who takes over after the coup?

Islam is another of man's attempt to bring some idea of heaven to earth.

The "Prophet" determined how people of Arabia should live so they could share the wealth and live in harmony. Interesting that along the way, this "pure" idea required people to force adherence to the life of Islam and to execute those who didn't follow the rules. To ensure everyone followed the rules, leaders had to arise from the masses.

In both systems, the people who are leading the masses to the great awakening of truth and harmony must always be held in higher esteem. The language used to honor and bless the Prophet is very similar to that which was used to describe Lenin and Stalin.

Read their biographies and they are all ruthless killers of those who do not agree with them 100%, and it doesn't seem to matter to the true believers.

In both systems, the need for leaders and even government is supposed to fade away as the believers practice the belief more fully, and in both systems, it appears that you can tell the masses anything to get them to follow you because the end, which is greatly desired, justifies the means of gaining power.

Americans rejected this pure sharing of everything back in the early Massachusetts Colony. They found out that while some believed in heaven on earth, those people also believed that they should sit around and discuss theology, rather than go out in the field and hoe the corn. They were about to starve, when the leaders figured out that each person had to have something personal to work for if the colony was going to succeed.

Communal living always sounds so good. Unfortunately, we are only human.

Most people, no matter who they are, have always wanted to either be the leader, or follow a leader. Its wired in our DNA, it was how God made us.

So we come to the present occupant of the White House.

He sure acts like he is a closet Muslim, after all if he is, he is allowed to lie about his beliefs if it lets him take and expand control in the name of Allah.

But Allah doesn't allow Abortion, homosexuality, adultery, it doesn't allow drinking alcohol, doesn't allow many of the things that Mr. Obama seems to embrace, or at least his supporters do. Read the Koran, murder is almost immediately punishable by death, ask any democrat about following that part of Sharia Law.

If I had to guess, I would say that the President, along with most of the present administration are truly State Socialists - they believe that they are so much smarter than the rest of us, that they should be the final word on everyone's actions and control everyone else's activities in public, at home, in short everywhere. They want a command economy, where the gracious leader commands and factories produce.

Their goal is some kind of "heaven on earth" where outcomes are always equal, even though opportunities and the people taking them are not.

Oh yes, and THEY will always be in control.

Living in the Past 2012

2012-01-21T14:30:31Z

You might remember that old Jethro Tull song with the funky beat? - "Living in the Past" ????

Isn't that what our present occupant of the White House and his minions are doing again and again?

Remember the Franklin Roosevelt spent his first term blaming Herbert Hoover for every ill in the nation.He got re-elected twice! That was in the past.
Remember that Harry Truman won a second term over Thomas Dewey by railing against a Republican Do-Nothing Congress. He got elected too, something else from the past.
Remember that Mr. Obama won his first election in Chicago by digging up dirt on his opponent. Mr. Ayers helped with that one. He got elected, and that was in the past.
Remember that Mr. Obama then dug up some dirt from the divorce of his Republican opponent when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won that one too. (hint: the past)
I was waiting for the "dirt" on John McCain, but by then it was all "Hope and Change" - McCain didn't have a chance and Mr. Obama didn't need to dig out McCain's dalliances that had been rumored during his time in DC- besides, it was all George Bush's fault - still in the past.

So now two Republican presidential candidates, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have suddenly had disparaging information of a sexual nature turn up in the media - at least Newt has the verbal skills and ability to strike back while Mitt Romney plays Obama surrogate on this issue.

And we have conservative republicans attacking former venture capitalist Mitt Romney for providing money to businesses in financial trouble and ex-wives dishing out the dirt about their husband's activities that pale in comparison to some of the past shenanigans in the White House.

The whole primary process this year has me yearning for the old "smoke filled rooms" where candidates used to be vetted and selected.

Yup, I can hear that 5/4 beat; "Now there's revolution, but they don't know what they're fighting, Let us close our eyes, Outside their lives go on much faster, Oh, we won't give in, we'll just go living in the past."

You tell 'em Ian

Tinker, Tailor, Rich Man, Poor Man

2012-01-17T19:48:22Z

Those of us who still remember the 70's, will have all those memories stimulated again, now that they've made a theatrical movie of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the John LeCarre novel about the British Secret Service.

If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").

"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.

But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.

George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.

As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.

Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.

It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.

And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.

At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.

R. Burk Hill: Can Anything Good Come From ...

2012-01-15T22:51:55Z

Rev. R. Burk Hill's Sermon from January 15, 2012.
Based on John 1: 43-51 (Jesus calls Philip, who calls his brother Nathanael)

Parsons: Meditation for Organ

2012-01-15T22:42:53Z

Meditation for Organ by Gabriel Dupont.
Recorded 1-15-2012 on the Flentrop Organ, Messiah Lutheran Church, Germantown, MD

Messiah Gallery Choir: Come Follow Me the Savior Spake

2012-01-15T22:37:51Z

The Gallery Choir performs verse 1 and 5 of the Hymn (#688 in the LBW)
Text: Johann Scheffler tr: Charles W. Schaeffer
Music: Bartholomaus Gesius Setting J.S. Bach

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012

2012-01-13T15:09:08Z

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012

Triskadecaphobics Unite!, you have nothing to lose but your freedom to worry - besides things in DC are scary enough.

[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].

Politics (as usual) Department:

Gallup: Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.

Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11

Americans See Views of GOP Candidates Closer to Their Own

Americans' Economic Worries: Jobs, Debt, and Politicians
[Gee, maybe Rush is Right? Again?]

DE Officials hand out $131,500 in bonuses
[And this was just in Delaware!]

Del. lawmakers eye minimum-wage hike
(WTW) Democratic lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill in the state Senate that would raise Delaware's minimum wage by a dollar.

[Its an election year, after all]

Vatz: Republican Gov. Haley Barbour: Despicably and Indefensibly Putting Innocent Lives at Risk
(Richard E. Vatz - Red Maryland) Lest you think that all the worst abuses of governmental power are committed by liberal Democrats, take a look at the reprehensible action by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour as he left office. The Christian Science Monitor sums it up this way: "Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour (R) gave reprieves to 208 inmates, including 14 convicted murderers, prompting Democratic legislators to reintroduce a bill that would curb pardon powers."

Obama to propose merging agencies
[Especially the ones with Republican ties...]

Presidential Election Department:

Morning Examiner: Obama's endless power to appoint (Conn Carroll - Wash Examiner) President Obama’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) released its opinion yesterday justifying Obama’s January 4 “recess” appointments (Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to the National Labor Relations Board). The memo is dated January 6th, but the Department of justice insists it was completed well before Obama made the appointments. The Heritage Foundation’s Todd Gaziano explains why the decision will not hold up in court:

Video: Obama Called Smaller Bush Debt Rise “Unpatriotic”
(White House Dossier.com) The new borrowing requested by the CURRENT president would raise the debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion. The debt stood at $10.6 trillion when Obama took office. That’s an increase of $5.8 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than the “unpatriotic” figure cited by Obama in the video.
Rudy Giuliani: 'What the hell are you doing Newt?'

Video: Michelle Obama Would Like You To Know That The Reason You Don't Like Her Husband Is Because You Are Too Stupid To Know How Awesome He Is.

New Book Claims Obama Complained About Taking Pictures With Troops During Trip to Baghdad
(The Blaze) Author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Michael Hastings’ new book, The Operators, could cause waves for President Obama’s reelection bid — not to mention his already tenuous relationship with U.S. troops — as book excerpts reveal the president was less than enthused to be photographed with troops during a visit to Baghdad.

Law of Unintended Consequences:

Video: Dead People Receive Ballots in NH Primary
(Project Veritas) On January 10th, Project Veritas reporters walked into New Hampshire Polling Locations during the Presidential Primaries, saying dead people's names. We stated the name of a dead person we got from the NH obituaries.

Watch: NH AG Investigating O’Keefe Group for Undercover Vid Showing Them Posing as Dead Voters to Get Ballots

Watchdogs to Obama: Fix the FEC

The Media

John Podhoretz, Ann Coulter, Mitt Romney and Real Life Conservatives vs Professional Conservatives
(PJ Media) John Podhoretz - Why are conservatives lining up behind a politician of whom Rush Limbaugh has said flatly: “Mitt Romney is not a conservative” — a sentiment echoed by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Iowa caucuses winner?

Video: Soledad O’Brien Hammers Jodi Kantor Over Her Controversial Book On The Obamas
(MediaIte) Soledad O’Brien welcomed The Obamas author Jodi Kantor on Starting Point Friday morning, and things got a little heated as O’Brien continuously tried to ask Kantor to defend her methodology in reporting the book.

World View

El Presidente Chávez and President Obama
(PJ Media) President Obama is no el Presidente Chávez. It may be extreme to suggest that if reelected and given Democrat majorities in both houses of the Congress he might morph in that direction. However, the U.S. Constitution seems of little importance to him when it gets in his way. Having Venezuela’s Constitution amended to suit his purposes has been easier for Chávez although he also ignores it when convenient. Amending the U.S. Constitution is a difficult task requiring a substantial consensus. Simply ignoring it when it suits President Obama’s purposes has been much easier.

Global What?

[& The Environmental Wackos]

The ‘Green’ Debate: President Obama Praises the EPA for Growing the Economy and GM Refuses to Admit the Volt Was a Flop
(The Blaze) Speaking before a throng of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees on Tuesday, President Barack Obama praised the agency for helping to grow the U.S. economy.

Popular Culture, etc.:

Friday the 13th times three
(Wilm News Journal) But when a Friday the 13th rolls around, a few will stop to peruse her selection of crystals. The objects are said to realign the vibrations of your body with the changes in the metaphysical world, Barbato said.

Religious leaders: Gay marriage a ‘peril’ to liberty
(Wash Times) Nearly 40 religious leaders, including Catholic, evangelical, Jewish and Mormon figures, issued an open letter Thursday that argues that the battle against same-sex marriage is a fight on behalf of religious freedom.

Business

Chamber of Commerce to Obama: You ‘Missed the Biggest In-Sourcing Opportunity’ --Keystone Pipeline
(CNSNews.com) – While President Barack Obama has been touting the importance of “insourcing” jobs into the United States (as opposed to outsourcing jobs overseas), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reminded America on Thursday that Obama recently rejected one of the most prominent and beneficial insourced opportunities: the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil through middle America to refineries on the Gulf Coast and create at least 20,000 jobs.

Union fight pits rights of free speech, private land
(The Washington Times) With a full complement of members after President Obama’s recent recess appointments, the National Labor Relations Board could soon rule on a closely watched labor law case with major implications for property rights, union organizing tactics and even what workers can write about on their company email accounts.

Military Stuff

US stations two aircraft carriers opposite Iran, 15,000 troops in Kuwait
(DEBKA File) US President Barack Obama is busy aligning Middle East allies with the next US steps on Iran. Contributing to the mounting sense in Washington of an approaching US-Iranian confrontation, the Pentagon is substantially building up its combat power around Iran, stationing nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait - two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit – and keeping two aircraft carriers in the region.

[So much for withdrawing the troops]

Panetta: 2 Army combat brigades will leave Europe
(Stars & Stripes) STUTTGART, Germany — Two U.S. Army combat brigades will be withdrawn from Europe as part of a new Pentagon defense strategy that aims to find efficiencies while also shifting more strategic focus to Asia.

[Will be several days away from reacting to events in Middle East and Europe]

And the rest of the stuff:

The Weather in Lower Slower Delaware

U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices

Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]

Latest NewsBusted

Links may become inactive after time...my comments still hold

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012

2012-01-12T14:22:15Z

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012

As the game rolls on -
[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].

Politics (as usual) Department:

O'Malley says he wants increase in sales tax
(Wash Examiner) ANNAPOLIS -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday he would like to raise the state's sales tax by a penny, putting another revenue source on the table in a new General Assembly session expected to produce extensively higher taxes for Marylanders.

[Tax and Spend, Spend and Tax, and a couple of tra la la's
Its how we pass the day away in the merry old land of Annapolis]

Is Obama Courting Dead Voters?
(White House Dossier) An outfit called Project Veritas – run by James O’Keefe, who made the videos that brought down ACORN – ran a little experiment in New Hampshire Tuesday and found that without voter ID requirements, dead people were offered a rare opportunity to participate in the political process.

Presidential Election Department:

Shapiro: Keep Their Feet to the Fire
(Ben Shapiro-CNS News)Assuming Mitt Romney wins the nomination and somehow wins the White House, most conservatives will be ready to box him about the ears as soon as he steps out of line.

KUHNER: Dynamic capitalism is a virtue
(Wash Times - Jeff Kuhner) Mitt Romney has won a major victory in New Hampshire. He is the first non-incumbent Republican to capture both Iowa and the Granite State - a historic achievement. He has the money, momentum, organization and - perhaps most importantly - the air of inevitability going into South Carolina. Barring an unexpected development, the former Massachusetts governor is poised to be the Republican presidential nominee. Mr. Romney will likely be the man destiny has chosen to challenge President Obama.

Limbaugh: Gingrich and Perry Blew It on Bain Attack (Update: Newt Admits He Made a Mistake)
(EI You know, folks, it is -- (laughing) -- it is amazing. As I go through the news today, looking at the establishment websites, looking at the conservative establishment, media establishment websites, they're starting to have some regrets about Romney. Really, they are. I have two or three examples here, but there are some creeping doubts now about Romney on the establishment Republican side.

Obama flexing same powers he once criticized
(Wash Examiner) As he eyes re-election, President Obama is increasingly flexing his executive muscle to outflank congressional Republicans, even though he railed against such expansive uses of presidential power as a candidate in 2008.

[and you're surprised? Absolute Power corrupts absolutely]

EDITORIAL: Employment advice for Obama
(Wash Times) President Obama brainstormed at the White House Wednesday at a forum on “insourcing American jobs.” The administration’s greatest political vulnerability is sky-high unemployment. The basic idea that trickled out of the session was America must “bring back” jobs from overseas by raising taxes on companies that invest abroad. That’s a bad idea.

Messina Scolds Slack Obama Donors
(White House Dossier) Obama Campaign Chairman Jim Messina gave President Obama’s supporters a bit of his mind this morning, scolding them in video and email messages for failing to pony up enough cash for Obama’s reelection effort.
[Can't do it all with Arab Money ya know...]

Law of Unintended Consequences:

EDITORIAL: Shariah in America’s courts
(Wash Times) A panel of federal judges has ruled that states cannot protect their courts from jurists who base their decisions on international or Koranic law. America needs better judges.

The Media

In 'Right to Work' Battle, Narrative Trumps Fact on NPR
(PJ Media) On the morning of December 29, I was driving and listening to the radio. A National Public Radio anchor, discussing assorted issues being considered by prospective voters in the New Hampshire primary, described a proposed “right-to-work” law as one that would enable employees to benefit from collective bargaining agreements without having to pay dues to the unions negotiating for them.

World View

Egypt cancels Jewish festival...
(Breitbart.com) Egypt on Wednesday called off an annual Jewish festival in the Nile Delta, which draws Israeli pilgrims every year to the tomb of holy man Abu Hassira.
Intelligence study glum on Afghan war, at odds with DOD portrayal
(Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON -- The U.S. intelligence community says in a secret new assessment that the war in Afghanistan is mired in stalemate, and warns that security gains from an increase in American troops have been undercut by pervasive corruption, incompetent governance and Taliban fighters operating from neighboring Pakistan, according to U.S. officials.

Global What?

[& The Environmental Wackos]

EPA Gives Activists a New Tool to Pressure Power Plants, Oil Refineries

(CNSNews.com) - Environmental activists are applauding the EPA for releasing greenhouse gas emissions data for large polluters through a new, consumer-friendly Web platform.

[As if they needed a reason to oppose these things....]

Obama: EPA Regulations Create Jobs; 'EPA Touches on the Lives of Every Single American Every Single Day'
[Yeah, jobs in Government that hold back real growth...]

Popular Culture, etc.:

Apparently, Someone Forgot To Tell Reality That The Entertainment Industry Was Dying
(TechDirt.com) We hear it all the time: the entertainment industry legacy players insist that the world is ending, jobs are going away, and that they need new laws like SOPA and PIPA or it's all over. That's why SOPA & PIPA are being positioned as jobs bills. Especially popular are the major labels and the big Hollywood studios insisting that they're really doing this not to save their own companies from having to adapt, but to protect the poor, poor indie creator, who is totally being destroyed by those evil online pirates. We hear time and time again about how it's really the "indie" folks who are being decimated.

If SOPA's Main Target Is The Pirate Bay, It's Worth Pointing Out That ThePirateBay.org Is Immune From SOPA
(TechDirt) In looking over Eric Goldman's excellent "linkwrap"really about going after one single site: The Pirate Bay. I've actually heard this repeatedly -- and from folks heavily involved with the bill itself. The whole point of the bill is to try to take down The Pirate Bay. Now, we can argue back and forth about how pointless that is... but there's something else that seems important: of a bunch of recent SOPA/PIPA stories, it pointed me to a News.com article from last month, about how SOPA was

SOPA foes warn: Not much time left to act

Klavin: Watch Blue Bloods, Damn It!
(Andrew Klavan - PJ Media) If you are a conservative and you don’t watch Blue Bloods, you are a caitiff and a knave. And okay, I don’t know what that means either, but the point is: you gotta watch this show. I know I’ve talked about it before, but it really does deserve repeating. We complain and complain about how the left has taken over the culture, then CBS puts something like this on offer and we’re too good for it or haven’t got time to pay attention.

Radosh: The New York Times Offers Propaganda for the Castro Regime as an Op-Ed
(Ron Radosh - PJ Media) Today’s New York Times runs one of its usual idiotic op-eds from a contributor. It is not quite as bad as the time the paper ran the late Libyan dictator Gaddafi’s op-ed on how the world should deal with Israel, but it comes close.

Business

Amtrak to spend $764M on new locomotives, rail cars
(Wash Post) Amtrak will pay $466 million this year for 70 new locomotives to enhance the speed and reliability of rail service in the Northeast Corridor and invest $298 million on 130 new rail cars to serve the East Coast and Midwest.

[its your money folks....]

Military Stuff

Naval patrols cut pirate attacks by about half

And the rest of the stuff:

The Weather in Lower Slower Delaware

U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices

Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]

Latest NewsBusted

Links may become inactive after time...my comments still hold

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/11/2012

2012-01-11T15:18:14Z

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/11/2012

So who won in New Hampshire? Was there any doubt? Now, can we go back to trying to unseat BHO and quit trying to prove that the GOP stands for smaller government, and Capitalism. You Know - Something that actually works?
[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].

Politics (as usual) Department:

Farmers Sue Jon Corzine Over Missing Millions
(ABC News) Montana farmers have filed a class action suit against former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, charging that the failed financial firm run by Corzine stole millions from their accounts to pay off its spiraling debts, and that Corzine's "single-minded obsession" with making MF Global a big player on Wall Street led to the firm's collapse.

[Wow - bad news about a Democrat! from ABC!]

The TSA Posts Its 'Top Good Catches Of 2011' List, Not One Of Which Is An Actual Terrorist
(Techdirt) Everyone loves a good "Best of..." list and with 2011 having just wrapped up, pretty much every site on the web has a few posted. Bruce Schneier points us in the direction of The TSA Blog, which has posted its own self-congratulatory list, "The Top 10 Good Catches of 2011."

Arthur B. Laffer: Class Warfare and the Buffett Rule
(WSJ) The political season has barely begun, and yet we already know that class warfare will be President Obama's key issue in the 2012 general election. It's even reared its ugly head in the Republican primaries, with the candidates trying to paint front-runner Mitt Romney as a cold-hearted capitalist and Rick Santorum proposing targeted tax breaks for the "working class" manufacturing sector.

[I think they call it "crony capitalism?" The primary feature of the fascist (or National Socialist) state? anyway, "Mr. Buffett thinks he and his family can put their money to better use than the government can. I guess he's really not so different from the rest of us after all.]

The Bain Capital Bonfire
(WSJ) About the best that can be said about the Republican attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital is that President Obama is going to do the same thing eventually, so GOP primary voters might as well know what's coming. Yet that hardly absolves Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and others for their crude and damaging caricatures of modern business and capitalism.

Presidential Election Department:

Obama: Republicans Want to Emulate China, Roll Back Minimum Wage, Prevent Unionization
(Video)
[But I thought he liked China....?]

Obama convenes meeting on 'in-sourcing' U.S. jobs
(Wash Examiner) President Obama is trying to encourage American companies to keep more jobs at home instead of sending them to cheaper labor markets overseas as he seeks to strengthen his economic repertoire and gin up support among middle class voters and unionized workers heading into the election.
[And he really thinks that forcing people to keep jobs in place will work? Look at the past 50 years of Union Thuggery about that!]

Mr. Obama’s 99% — Are We Poor or Just Unequal or Both or Neither?
(PJ Media) In our strange Alice-In-Wonderland 21st-century world, lots of crazy things blur the president’s one percent/99 percent

Romney's Granite Statement
(WSJ) Mitt Romney's victory in New Hampshire Tuesday takes him one step closer to the GOP Presidential nomination, especially given the fragmented showing by the rest of the field. The former Massachusetts Governor met expectations in the state where he owns a home, and he will now head to South Carolina with no clear single rival who might unite conservatives.

Morning Examiner: Romney vs the zombie horde
(Conn Caroll - Wash Examiner) ...And the exit polls are even more compelling. Romney won among virtually every demographic polled. He beat Rick Santorum among evangelicals. He beat Newt Gingrich among Tea Party supporters. He beat everyone among those who cared most about beating Obama. The only demographics he lost were college kids (who voted for Paul) and those who oppose the Tea Party (they went for Jon Huntsman).
LAMBRO: Romney rivals sound like Democrats
(David Lambro - Wash Times) Mitt Romney is taking a lot of heat from his Republican rivals, who question just how successful he really has been in turning small businesses into major job-creating enterprises.

Law of Unintended Consequences:

2012 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session Preview
(Red Maryland) The Maryland General Assembly, or as my friend Doug Gill likes to call it the Cistern on the Severn, kicks off its 2012 legislative session today. Here is a run down of the big issues, and how I see things playing out.

[Want to see the Left Wing of the Democrat party in action? watch the guys in Annapolis...]

The Media

Bozell: Unseat These Atrocious Moderators

(Lance Bozell - CNS News) Why must the Republicans keep handing over their debate stage in the primary season to the people who desperately want them all to bumble, stumble and fall on their faces on national TV?

Cantor got it right on Reagan in '60 Minutes' interview
(Wash Examinter) House Majority Whip Eric Cantor sat for a profile with "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl last week. It was a mostly constructive exchange except for a minor flap over President Reagan's record on taxes.

[Some of them have been making it up for so long....]

Ron Paul Blasts Morning Joe For Putting Words In His Mouth: ‘I Don’t Know What Your Goal Is’

[Easy - try to get some viewers for (P)MSNBC, and disrupt the GOP as Joe turns into a RINO too]

World View

Senior Natanz executive slain in Tehran, US Navy, Air Force on Hormuz readiness
(DEBKA File) Forty-eight hours after Iran launched advanced uranium enrichment at Fordo, Prof. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was killed early Wednesday, Jan. 11 by a sticky bomb planted on his car by two motorcyclists.

Are US, Israel, Saudis united on military action vs Iran?

Iran plans one-kiloton underground nuclear test in 2012

Hamas Seeks a New Patron
(PJ Media) Sensing the rise of Sunni Islamism, Hamas is seeking benefactors other than Iran.

Global What?

[& The Environmental Wackos]

No override of Sharp Park veto No override of Sharp Park veto
(SF Chronicle) The Board of Supervisors could not muster enough votes to override Mayor Ed Lee's veto of legislation that would have compelled the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to transfer management of Sharp Park to the federal government, if an agreement could be brokered.

Popular Culture, etc.:

College-age bingers down an average of 9 drinks
(SF Chronical) Atlanta -- College-age drinkers average nine drinks when they get drunk, government health officials said Tuesday.

Michelle Obama: People Have Painted False Image Of Me Since Barack Said I’m ‘Some Angry Black Woman’
[She's just another one of the women who are always right?]

Business

Sowell: Kodak and the post office
(Thomas Sowell) It is news that truly marks the end of an era when Eastman Kodak is preparing to file for bankruptcy, after being the leading photographic company in the world for more than a hundred years.

Cracks in wings of Airbus A380 spark calls for grounding
I am telling you right now that I will not fly on any Airbus product. They are manufactured by lazy people in socialist nations that sleep more then they work. JD

Military Stuff

CNO: Don't expect more troops, ships in Pacific

(Stars & Stripes) WASHINGTON — The much-heralded U.S. “pivot to the Pacific” doesn’t mean a big influx of troops or ships in the Western Pacific, the Navy’s top officer said Tuesday.

And the rest of the stuff:

The Weather in Lower Slower Delaware

U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices

Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]

Latest NewsBusted

Links may become inactive after time...my comments still hold

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/10/2012

2012-01-10T14:22:14Z

Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/10/2012

On with the show (and the Primary) as the media yahoos all try to tell us what they think happened or is happening, or how we should agree with them because they are oh so smart.... Anyway, its Dad's 93rd Birthday.

[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].

Politics (as usual) Department:

MIX: Government employees’ free speech on trial
(Wash Times) From Ohio to Wisconsin to California, state budget battles over extravagant union privileges grabbed headlines and flooded airwaves throughout 2011. This year, however, the fight to restrain public-sector union bosses has shifted to a new venue. Tuesday, the Supreme Court weighs arguments about the limits of union officials’ power to spend compulsory union dues on politics.
Blatant power grabs have murdered our republi
(Salisbury Times) If it wasn't obvious to you before, last week's events should make it crystal clear: the American Republic is gone. King Obama, faithful to his promise to ignore Congress if he doesn't get his way, trampled the constitutional separation of powers and appointed the head of the unconstitutional Consumer Protection Bureau without senate confirmation or a single hearing even as the senate remained in session to prevent such an appointment.

27 Congressmen to Court: If Individual Mandate's Unconstitutional, Strike Down All Obamacare
(CNSNews.com) – Twenty-seven members of Congress, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), have signed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the entire Obamacare law if it finds that the individual mandate provision is unconstitutional.

Obama's Chief Of Staff Cancels The Daley Show After One Year
(Matt Sheffield - CNS News) Remember how President Obama brought in Bill Daley a year ago to be his chief of staff in order to boost his credibility with the business world?
Well, that experiment is over.

Will Obama’s Inexperienced, ‘Controversial’ Deputy OMB Director Heather Higginbottom Take Jack Lew’s Place?
(Big Government.com) With less than a month to go before President Obama is required by law to submit a budget to Congress (February 6th), Mr. Obama’s decision today to make Jack Lew White House chief of staff leaves deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OM Heather Higginbottom to take Mr. Lew’s place as the director of OMB.

Carroll: Morning Examiner: Battle for capitalism
(Conn Carroll - Wash Examiner) There may be some formalities left in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida, but the stage for the general election is now set and two stories yesterday almost perfectly previewed what the next 10 months are going to be about.

VERNUCCIO: No time for advice and consent
(Wash Times) On Wednesday, President Obama infuriated Republicans and threatened to spark a constitutional crisis when he announced he would make four recess appointments during a “pro forma” session of Congress. A pro forma session occurs when Congress “gavels in and gavels out” every three days but is not technically on recess.

Presidential Election Department:

POLL: Americans, 2-1, fear Obama re-election...
(US News) When it comes to how Americans view President Obama going into the new year, there appears to be very little spirit of Auld Lang Syne. Instead, according to the new Washington Whispers poll, many voters aren't forgetting what they dislike about Obama and want him out office.

GOP Goes Negative, Hits Obama's 'Pixie' Dust
(US News) Paul Bedard's Washington Whispers: Using the Tuesday New Hampshire primary as an opening to slam the White House, GOP officials Monday turned negative and personal against President Obama, belittling his vacations, fancy fund-raisers and magical "pixie dust" they say he used to con voters in 2008.

Peterson: Obama fires opening election-year salvo
(Wash Examiner) In his first campaign speech of the election year, President Obama defended big government and condemned Republicans' "brand of you're-on-your-own economics"

Rick Santorum: If Obama Isn’t Defeated, then the America We Know Will Be Gone
(PJ Tatler) GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum rallied with supporters at Jillians in Manchester, NH Monday night. The former senator from Pennsylvania, wearing his now trademark sweater vest, seemed buoyed by the energy he is seeing on the campaign trail, and was joined by his family at the event.

Law of Unintended Consequences:

The Media

Herman Cain Defends Rick Santorum’s ‘Black People’ Comment On The View

World View

Pedophilia Added to Greece’s Recognized Disability List
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek disabled groups are angry at a government decision to expand a list of state-recognized disability categories to include pedophiles, exhibitionists and kleptomaniacs.

Iran: Latin visit, American’s death fate push limits
(The Washington Times) Tensions between the United States and Iran reached new heights Monday, as Iran’s president met with Venezuela’s leader amid reports that Tehran has issued a death sentence on a U.S. citizen accused of spying for the CIA.

Global What?

[& The Environmental Wackos]

Interior Secretary Stresses Job Creation From Tourism -- As He Bans New Uranium Mining Out West
(CNSNews.com) - Slammed by western-state lawmakers for banning new uranium mining near the Grand Canyon -- and the jobs it would create -- the Obama administration on Monday stressed the role of tourism and leisure in job creation.

Popular Culture, etc.:

How I Learned About Courage From an Arab Marxist and About Cowardice From Western Phony “Liberals”
By Barry Rubin - A little man stood on the stage in a British university hall, meticulously dressed, looking just like the scholar that he was. To look at him you would think he was the embodied stereotype of timidity. It was 1980. Iraq had just invaded Iran and I was in Exeter, England, at an academic conference. Though I hadn’t realized it before arriving, the meeting was sponsored by the Saddam Hussein government.

Business

Our Masters in Washington
by Roger Kimball Why is it that congressmen are allowed to invest on the basis of insider knowledge when the same behavior would bring down the scrutiny of the SEC on us plebs?

Military Stuff

Rockets to flatten Osama bin Laden Pakistan hideout
(Stars & Stripes) Next month, in an event slated to take place before a sandstorm of news media cameras, Pakistani officials say they will flatten the Pakistani house where for years, Osama bin Laden eluded capture -- until he was killed last May by U.S. Navy SEALs, according to the U.K.'s Sun.

And the rest of the stuff:

The Weather in Lower Slower Delaware

U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices

Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]

Latest NewsBusted

Links may become inactive after time...my comments still hold