As many of you know, I am strongly against this health care monstrosity that is being forced upon us by our elected officials. Thankfully, enough Democrats care enough about their constituents to actually represent their wishes and will most probably, reject this horrible seizure of 1/6 of our economy.

I am simply astounded at the utter arrogance of Pelosi, Obama, and anyone else who is foisting this behemoth entitlement against our freedom. These communist/socialist/Marxist (or maybe they are simply stupid) will probably never understand why they are eventually voted out of office (assuming they aren't tarred and feathered first). I guess stupidity and arrogance does go hand in hand.

As always, Doug Ross has the goods:

The Health Care Bill in Ninety Seconds

The key 'features' of of H.R. 3962:

Cost

The CBO now estimates health bill spending at $3 trillion over 10 years. Since the CBO historically underestimates expenses, assume massive new deficits for a country that can ill afford them.

Personal Requirements

You'll be required to buy a 'qualified' health plan. A family earning $102K a year will pay $1,700 a month in premium and out-of-pocket expenses. 'Willful' failure to buy a plan will result in a fine of up to $250,000 and 'imprisonment of up to five years'. Illegal immigrants are exempt from fines and imprisonment.

Business Requirements

Every business in America must provide a 'qualified plan' for employees and pay 72.5% of the cost. Failure to do so results in an 8% payroll tax.

Impact to Seniors

Medicare reimbursements will be slashed by $500 billion. Medicare Advantage plans will be slashed by 20%. In many cases, seniors will be forced to see nurse practitioners rather than doctors.

Payments for Community Organizers, Translators and Racial/Ethnic 'Balance'

The bill provides grants to community "entities" with no required qualifications. The bill also provides translators for patients who do not speak English and offers grants to schools serving students with "disadvantaged backgrounds including racial and ethnic minorities."

Illegal Immigrants Covered, Abortion Funding Still Possible

Proof of citizenship requirements were gutted, so illegal aliens will be subsidized. The legislation also "doesn't close the door to using taxpayer funds" for abortions.

This bill truly is, as Michele Bachmann describes it, the "crown jewel of socialism". Its implementation will result in an economic catastrophe of the first order as certainly as the sun rises in the morning.

How can anyone with half a brain want this??? For those of you who do, do you not realize the ramifications of your desires?

I would love to hear from someone, anyone, who supports this plan and please explain to me why you think this is a good idea. I'm not saying that American health care is perfect. But if you must do something, and there are very valid arguments for doing something, why do something as horrible and dangerous as this?

Dallas Cowboys
Heroes & Zeroes
Game Eight

Dallas Cowboys 20 Philadelphia Eagles 16

I certainly didn't expect the Cows to be where they are today. Not after barely beating Kansas City, just a few weeks ago. But here they are at 6-2 and thanks to the sudden demise (although, I dare say it won't be permanent) of the New York football Giants, they find themselves alone at the top of the very challenging NFC East.

However, as much as winning a road game in Philadelphia - especially after what happened there last year (6-44 anyone?), it is tough to get too excited about a game in November. After all, we have been here before. But I also believe that this year's team is quite different from the past. There is a certain cohesiveness that was lacking in years gone by. I won't place all of it on Terrell Owens. But ever since Miles Austin broke out, the Cows seem alive and extraordinarily confident.

HEROES

Tony Romo, Quarterback -- His numbers were not as stellar as it was the past few weeks, and he threw his first interception in a month Although, he did throw for over 300 yards against an excellent defense). Still, with what seemed to be a blitz in his face on every play, Romo was not rattled and was almost always on target. His lone interception was a joint effort with his receiver, who thought Romo was going to throw to his other side. Romo is showing vastly improved leadership skills and finally got Roy Williams involved.

Gerald Sensabaugh, Safety -- In what may turn out to be the best free agent acquisition of the off-season (along with Keith Brooking), former Jaguar Sensabaugh adds a terrific element to this defense. Because of a broken arm, he missed most of three games this year and the team suffered for it. Tonight, he led the team with 6 tackles, made a diving interception which led to the first touchdown of the game. In addition, his reputation as a big hitter led directly to two dropped passes by Eagle receivers.

Wade Phillips, Head Coach -- I have to admit, most of the last three seasons I found much to criticize a head coach who has amassed a 28-12 record since joining the Cowboys. However, I stand by all I've said in that regard. But certainly, Phillips deserves a tremendous amount of praise and respect for the way the Cows' defense played against the 7th ranked offense in the league (the Eagles score an average of 29 points a game, 3rd best in the NFL), and held them to 16 points and under under 300 yards. In addition, Donovan McNabb had thrown one interception all year. Tonight, he suffered two - and could well have had two more, had the defenders had better position. McNabb was harassed all day and was unable to find his big play receiver, DeSean Jackson, all night.

ZEROES

Marcus Spears, Defensive End -- I can't really find a reason for Marcus Spears to play, much less start. The only reason I can come up with is that he plays his position so well, that he allows everyone else to make plays around him. For the season, he does have 14 tackles and two sacks. These are great numbers for a third-string lineman. But Spears, a former first round pick, is a full time starter. In comparison, Stephen Bowen has a couple of sacks and is always around the quarterback. Yet he plays 1/4 of the time that Spears does.

Felix Jones, Running Back -- I really don't want to rag on Felix Jones. This guy is definitely a play maker. But either because the Eagles were ready for him, or he simply had a bad game, he was a non-factor for the second week in a row. In his defense, the Eagle defense is outstanding against the run. But early on, when they were plugging up the middle and stopping Marion Barber, Jones was needed to spread the offense out. Unfortunately, because he is still less than spectacular (and I'm being very nice here) against the blitz, Phillips was forced to go with either Barber or Tashard Choice since Philly blitzed so much.

The officials -- This goes out to both teams. The officiating was average at best, horrible at worst. Non-calls on certain plays and phantom calls on others nearly wrecked the flow of the game. It certainly destroyed any chance that Philadelphia had for a comeback. While I fumed at a couple of misses the refs had that benefited the Eagles, I can't help but feel sorry for Andy Reid's bunch when McNabb seemed to clearly get a first down (on a 4th and one), only to lose the challenge. That play spelled the end for the Eagles hopes because the failed challenge left them with no challenges and no timeouts left in the game. I won't go so far to say the Eagles were robbed, because the Cows were victims of the poor officiating as well. But if I were an Eagle fan, I'd be pretty upset.

For three and a half games, the Cowboys are looked like one of the best teams in the league. I won't saw the best team - not while New Orleans, Denver, Minnesota and Indianapolis are out there - but certainly a team to contend with. Given where they were a month ago, I think that is amazing. A lot of credit goes to the coaching staff who has kept this team focussed on the big picture. Even had they lost 20-16, instead of winning, I would still feel like these guys were heading in the right direction.
Here is my pick for next week:

Dallas..............................38
Green Bay........................24

Why Don't They Get It?

Brain dead. That's what David Horowitz says and I agree with him.

That's the only explanation I can logically deduce about our media, and by extension, our culture.

Or perhaps a better definition is suicidal.

Here we have a man, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim with an Internet site praising Islamic suicide bombers as defenders of their comrades. As an officer in the U.S. Army, he had access to military intelligence and lethal weaponry. In fact, the military was well aware her was an Islamic fundamentalist as e was under investigation for six months because of his anti-American, jihadist rantings.

But despite the fact his beliefs were counter t the very ideals he swore to protect, and despite the fact he was being investigated for his possibly treasonous actions, the U.S. Army allowed him to remain an officer and continue to counsel soldiers, in his job as a psychologist - even after complaints were levied on him for abusing his position by attempting to convert his patients to Islam

Yet the media, and not just here in America, continue to question what possible motive Hasan might have had for the shooting death of 13 soldiers at Ft. Hood. Even when they do mention the fact that he was a "Palestinian," it is often done so with the charge that it is "Islamophobic."

Forget about the fact that had this been a Republican "tea-bagger", there would be no end to the bashing of all things conservative. Keith Olbermann would host a 3 hour special about the "New Nazis - the GOP" (although, in retrospect, I think he does that nightly on MSNBC anyway).

Had this been a Jew, the condemnation of Zionism, about dual-loyalties and about how Jews are filled with bloodlust would lead to another UN resolution and mass self-flagellation of Jews worldwide.

But because Hasan was a Muslim, the press bends over backwards to play dumb and ignore the obvious.

I really appreciated what Mark Steyn wrote on the National Review blog:

The Headline of the Day, from the BBC:

Shooting Raises Fears For Muslims In US Army

Really? Right now the body count stands at:

Non-Muslims 13
Muslims 0

Mr. Horowitz asks, "is everybody out of their mind?"

In response, former CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) news producer, Deborah Gyapong, had this interesting observation:

Yup. And those who aren't out of their mind get banned from university campuses and tracked by human rights commissions.

As Jim Treacher tweeted recently:

If this idiot had been wearing an I Kill Unbelievers 4 the Glory of Allah t-shirt, they'd still be going, "Whuh-whuh-why did he do this?"

Adds Gyapong, "Our culture is suicidal, folks. Somehow the part of us that is still awake has to rouse the lethargic body and grab the phone and call 911. As I said, this is NOT about Muslims. It is about the decay of western civilization and its embrace of some strange death wish. We're the ones who love death---our own."

I'm not sure it is all of us who feel this way. But the same blindness that led to the election of Barack Obama is leading us down a very dark and dangerous street. I was never a fan of Bill Clinton. But I was never afraid about the future of my country when he was President.

This fear is neither Islamophobia, or racism. It is my taking the blinders off and actually looking at the world around us. Unfortunately, our nation has been so deceived by political correctness, we are now impotent to notice.

But there is still yet hope for us. The election results in New Jersey and Virginia confirm that the Obama phenomenon was, as Charles Krauthammer so eloquently stated:

"The '08 election was a historical anomaly. A uniquely charismatic candidate was running at a time of deep war weariness, with an intensely unpopular Republican president, against a politically incompetent opponent, amid the greatest financial collapse since the Great Depression. And still he won by only seven points."

It really is no wonder why Nancy Pelosi was so desperate to pass her monstrosity of a health care bill so quickly. She knew darn well that with each passing day, the Obama "mandate" diminishes to nothingness. Even though the bill barely slipped through congress yesterday, the fact that it passed by only 5 votes (in a House that is over 60% Democrat) sends a clear signal that is destined to fail in the Senate.

What all this means is that while the media, and the Obama administration may still have their heads up their proverbial asses, more and more Americans are waking up to reality.

I can only hope it isn't too late.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1985 v.2

The year started with the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, who won a second landslide election. Later that month, taking a cue for Britain’s Band Aid, the single “We Are the World” is recorded in Hollywood.

In March, in what was becoming an all-too-common occurrence, Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut (he is eventually released on December 4, 1991).

In May, Philadelphia (PA) Mayor Wilson Goode orders police to storm the radical group MOVE's headquarters to end a stand-off. The police drop an explosive device into the headquarters, killing 11 MOVE members and destroying the homes of 61 city residents in the resulting fire. In June, a Hezbollah fringe group hijacks TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers from Athens to Rome. One passenger, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Robert Stethem, is killed. Of course, just a few months later, the cruise ship Achille Lauro is hijacked in the Mediterranean Sea by 4 heavily armed Palestinian terrorists. One passenger, American Leon Klinghoffer, is killed. And in December, as if the year didn’t have enough Islamic terrorism, Rome and Vienna are attacked when Abu Nidal terrorists open fire at the El-Al ticket counters at the two cities’ airports, leaving 18 dead and 120 injured. Just another friendly hello from the “Religion of Peace.”

On the lighter side, “Calvin and Hobbes” debuts in 35 newspapers, the computer game Tetris is released and Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first round knockout.

Can't Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon

It took 14 years for REO Speedwagon to reach the top of the charts, with their epic hit “Keep on Loving You.” Yet, it only took an additional four to reclaim the top spot. With this cheesy, but extremely popular ballad. "Can't Fight This Feeling" has appeared on dozens of 'various artists' compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums. It has also been featured on soundtracks of movies such as “Not Another Teen Movie”, “Waiting...”, and, most recently, “Kickin' It Old Skool” and “Sex Drive.” The song was also heard on the South Park episode "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy," the Fringe episode "Power Hungry" as well as in the Showtime hit series Queer as Folk. The band performed the song at the 1985 Live Aid concert and it was sung at the end of “Horton Hears a Who!”

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears

This song is about the quest for power, and how it can have unfortunate consequences. In an interview with Mix magazine, the band's producer Chris Hughes explained that they spent months working on "Shout," and near the end of the sessions, Roland Orzabal came into the studio and played two simple chords on his acoustic guitar, which became the basis for the song. Said Hughes: "'Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ was so simple and went down so quickly, it was effortless, really. In fact, as a piece of recording history, it's bland as hell.” This was the first #1 hit for Tears for Fears. "Shout" went to #1 two months later.

Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

This was featured in the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club. Directed by John Hughes, it featured many members of the "Brat Pack," including Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson. Simple Minds had been around for 5 years and developed a strong following in England when this was released. The song was much more bombastic and radio-friendly than their previous material, and alienated many of their core fans, but was a breakthrough hit in the US for the band, where it was by far their biggest hit.

You Belong To The City - Glenn Frey

This was written specifically for the TV series Miami Vice. In 1985, Frey acted in an episode of the show that was based on his song "Smuggler's Blues." This song, along with Jan Hammer's "Miami Vice Theme", helped the Miami Vice soundtrack album reach the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart for 11 weeks in 1985, making it the best-selling album of the year and the most successful TV soundtrack of all time.It was written by Frey and Jack Tempchin. Among Tempchin’s credits are other Eagles hits “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” - as well as Johnny Rivers’ smash, “Slow Dancin’ (Swayin’ to the Music).”

Every Time You Go Away - Paul Young

This was written and originally recorded by Hall & Oates in 1980; Young's version became a hit 5 years later. In the October 16, 2009 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Daryl Hall listed this as one of his favorite Hall & Oates songs, and explained: "Paul Young had a pop hit with it a few years after we released it. It's just one of those songs. I feel very proud of its craftsmanship." This was the biggest hit for Young. He contributed to Band Aid in 1984, and had hits with covers of R&B classics "Oh Girl" and "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted."

You’re Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel

After Billy Joel attempted suicide back in 1970 (by drinking furniture polish), it failed to kill him and he wrote the song "Tomorrow is Today" (on the LP “Cold Spring Harbor) as the suicide note. Later on he was asked if he could write a song that could help prevent teenage suicide. Joel agreed, but the first recording concerned him because it had a dreary and depressing tone that he thought might give troubled teens the wrong message. As result he created a new version with bouncy, joyous beats and lyrics about personal forgiveness and optimism for life. During the song, Joel noticeably hesitates with one of the verse lines and laughs after it. He decided to keep this mistake in the recorded version because it seemed to be proof of his personal fallibility, as in the line "You probably don't want to hear advice from someone else - But I wouldn't be telling you if I hadn't been there myself."

Invincible - Pat Benatar

This was the theme song to the movie “The Legend of Billie Jean,” which was a box office bomb despite the success of this song. By the end of the decade, Pat Benatar had become one of the most popular voices on radio - with two RIAA-certified Multi-Platinum albums and five RIAA-certified Platinum albums, plus three RIAA-certified Gold albums and 19 Top 40 singles to her credit. Simon Climie and Holly Knight wrote this song. Climie's songwriting credits include "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael and Aretha Franklin, and "Ecstasy" by Jeff Beck. Knight wrote Benatar's 1983 hit "Love Is A Battlefield." Knight says of "Invincible": "I love that song. It's one of my favorite songs. I'd love to hear that song cut by an alternative band, like Foo Fighters or something."

Cry – Godley & Crème

Kevin Godley and Lol Crème were childhood friends who both became session musicians. Between 1970 and 1976 they were members of the band 10cc (“The Things We Do For Love”, “I’m Not In Love”). They left after recording 10cc's 4th album “How Dare You!” to work as a duo, later moving into video production. The pair directed memorable videos for The Police ("Every Breath You Take"), Duran Duran, Herbie Hancock and Frankie Goes to Hollywood that stretched the boundaries of the new format. The video was very influential as it featured one of the first uses of the digital morphing effect, to sequentially blend numerous faces of different ages and races that morphed from one to another as they mimed the lyrics to the song. They used people from the London Ugly Agency for the video, which Kevin Godley directed. This was their only American hit as a duo.

Fortress Around Your Heart – Sting

This was inspired by Sting's divorce. The pain he felt when he couldn't make his first marriage work led him to write some of his biggest hits, including "Every Breath You Take" and "King Of Pain." In a Musician magazine interview later that year, he said: "Fortress is about appeasement, about trying to bridge the gaps between individuals. The central image is a minefield that you've laid around this other person to try and protect them. Then you realize that you have to walk back through it. I think it's one of the best choruses I've ever written." During one of Sting's concerts, his roadies pulled a practical joke by lowering a miniature fortress around him while he performed this. Sting was not pleased.

Never – Heart

After hitting it big in the 70’s, with classic rock standards “Crazy For You,” “Magic Man” and “Barracuda,” Heart hit a dry spell. Two of the original members, Steve Fossen and Michael Derosier, left the band and their subsequent album failed to make any noise. However, Ann Wilson recorded a duet with Mike Reno (of the band Loverboy), called “Almost Paradise.” The song went to #7 and brought a new generation of interest in the band. Their next album, simply titled “Heart,” went to #1 and sold 5 million copies on the strength of 4 Top-10 hits: "What About Love?" (#10, 1985), "Never" (#4, 1985), "These Dreams" (#1, 1986) and "Nothin' at All" (#10, 1986). By that time, Heart had abandoned their earlier hard rock aspirations to make slick, radio-friendly pop music.

Bonus Track

You Look Mahvelous – Billy Crystal

Since the beginning of Saturday Night Live, the show has been something of an anti-television show, turning the medium on its head with endless fake commercials and parodies of TV shows themselves. The most common style of their recurring sketches has been the talk show format. One of the more popular of these types of sketches featured Billy Crystal playing Fernando Lamas. He would interview various celebrities, often confusing them with someone else (e.g. confusing actor Johnny Yune for football player Johnny Unitas.. .). Always during the interview he would say, "You look mahvelous." and frequently the sketch would end with, "It's better to look good than to feel good."

How does MSNBC stay on the air?

According to Rachel Maddow, "the U.S. Constitution doesn't have a preamble."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

O RLY?

From usconstitution.net:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

If it weren't for her, and bathtub boy (Keith Olbermann), there would be no comedy left on television. Hey, PMSNBC, how are those ratings holding up?

However, in fairness to all, it should be noted that Boehner is quoting the Declaration of Independence while calling it the Constitution. But then again, he is just a Congressman. He's not expected to know what the Hell he's talking about.

Video of the year...



Now I need a tissue.

Courtesy of SondraK

No one outperforms his Shat-ness...

You gotta love the Washington Post...

From the Wall Street Journal:

Virginia is one of two states that elect statewide officials a year after presidential elections, and in the governor's race, Republican Bob McDonnell looks to win big over Democrat Creigh Deeds. (We're not sure whether Creigh rhymes with "gay" or "brie.") The Washington Post, Northern Virginia's biggest paper despite being published out of state, endorsed Deeds, in part citing McDonnell's views on social issues:

We worry that Mr. McDonnell's Virginia would be one where abortion rights would be curtailed; where homosexuals would be treated as second-class citizens; where information about birth control would be hidden; and where the line between church and state could get awfully porous. That is a prescription for yesterday's Virginia, not tomorrow's.

The Post also endorses the Democrat for state attorney general, in part because the Republican, Kenneth Cuccinelli, is "a provocative hard-liner":

Given his sometimes bizarre and incendiary ideas, we worry that Mr. Cuccinelli would drive qualified and nonpartisan lawyers away, transform the attorney general's office into a staging ground for his pet peeves and causes, and make it an object of ridicule in a state where it has enjoyed a long run of respect.

What the Post doesn't tell you is the name of the attorney general under which the office "enjoyed a long run of respect" between January 2006 and February of this year: Bob McDonnell.

Shhhhh!

Busy watching Game 5 of the World Series and occasionally changing over the the Falcons-Saints (Damn, Drew Brees is GOOD!). But I did want to share this article by one of the best, Jeff Jacoby. If you are still unsure of Obama's following of Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals", this should convince you:

Hyperbole and the health-care debate

Two things supporters of a government-run "public option" for health insurance know for sure. One is that private health insurers are raking in obscenely high profits. The other is that only a government rival can force them to compete on price.

In a clever new commercial featuring Heather Graham as an agile sprinter named "Public Option," the left-wing pressure group MoveOn combines both themes, describing insurance companies as "lazy" and "bloated from the profits of raising our health care costs sky-high." Why, it asks, should anyone resist the competition a public option would generate? After all, "competition is as American as apple pie." In a less amusing print ad a few weeks ago, MoveOn charged that "insurance companies are willing to let the bodies pile up, as long as their profits are safe."

President Obama also attacks health insurers as avaricious profiteers.

"The insurance industry is making this last-ditch effort to stop reform," he declared on Oct. 16, "even as costs continue to rise and our health-care dollars continue to be poured into their profits (and) bonuses." When he addressed Congress in September, Obama insisted that only a public option will "keep insurance companies honest." On the White House Blog, ObamaCare opponents are accused of "fighting to protect insurance industry profits."

Indeed, there is no shortage of voices characterizing health insurers as greedy villains. Earlier this year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised her party for highlighting "the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry." On CNN last week, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown demanded a public option "so the insurance industry can't continue to game the system and discriminate" against women and the disabled -- tactics insurers have used to "quadruple their profits in the last five years." If quadrupled profits don't seem rapacious enough, the union-backed Health Care for American Now! ups the ante, claiming, according to the AFL-CIO's news blog, that "during the past five years, health insurance company profits have soared by 1,000 percent."

Outbidding them all is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Health insurance companies "are so anti-competitive," he said last month, "because they make more money than any other business in America today."

To such overheated agitprop, the only useful response is a cold shower of facts, and the Associated Press supplied a timely one last week. For all the impassioned talk about obscene profits and bodies piling up, AP's Calvin Woodward reported, "health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent" of revenues, a return "that's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries."

On the Fortune 500 list of top industries, health insurance companies ranked 35^th in profitability in 2008; their overall profit margin was a mere 2.2 percent. They lagged far behind such industries as pharmaceuticals (which showed a profit margin of 19.3 percent), railroads (12.6 percent), and mining (11.5 percent). Among health insurers, the best performer last year was HealthSpring, which had a profit of 5.4 percent. "That's a less profitable margin," AP noted, "that was achieved by the makers of Tupperware, Clorox bleach, and Molson and Coors beers."

For the most recent quarter of 2009, health-insurance plans earned profits of only 3.3 percent, ranking them 86^th on the expanded Yahoo! Finance list of US industries. The application-software industry, by contrast, is pulling in profits of nearly 22 percent. Why aren't MoveOn and the Democrats demanding a "public option" to compete with Microsoft and Adobe and drive down their "immoral" profits?

There are certainly industries doing worse than health insurance -- airlines and newspapers, for example -- but the notion that health insurers "make more money than any other business in America today" is preposterous. Advocates of a public option may find it tactically expedient to paint insurers as insatiable predators, swollen with ill-gotten profits. The reality is otherwise.

Still, the critics do have one thing right: More competition would bring down health-care premiums. But the way to increase competition is not by adding a government-run health plan to the 1,300 private firms already providing Americans with health insurance. After all, there's no public option for auto insurance and life insurance, yet they're sold in a highly competitive national market. There is no reason health insurance can't be sold the same way.

Dallas Cowboys
Heroes & Zeroes
Game Seven

Dallas Cowboys 38 Seattle Seahawks 17

For the first time, in what seems forever, the Cows played two back to back solid games. While the quality of the opponent was less than it was a week ago, the quality of play was better. In fact, I can't even remember the last time the team had fewer penalties than their opponent - and none that really much affected any drives.

It was a good effort from start to finish, although if I could make one criticism, it would be that for the second week in a row (and the 4th time in 7 weeks) the defense allowed the other team to score on their first possession (although actually, Tampa Bay missed a field goal instead). It is a dangerous way to start games and it must be addressed as the team faces stiffer challenges.

HEROES

Tony Romo, Quarterback -- Another solid performance by Romo this week. He set a personal record when he completed his 99th pass in a row without an interception. Considering he threw three in the loss to Denver, it should be noted that he has only thrown four picks all season. And it isn't as if he isn't taking chances downfield. The emergence of Miles Austin has been a real boon to Romo and the entire team.

Patrick Crayton, Wide Receiver -- It's time to give the six-year veteran some love. When demoted back to being the slot receiver, all while losing his punt return job, he took it like a pro and just continued to work. Today, for the second consecutive week, it paid off in a big way. Aside from making three big receptions, Crayton returned his another punt return for a touchdown.

Keith Brooking, Linebacker -- Ever since joining the team during the off-season, Brooking has made a huge contribution. Wade Phillips admitted he didn't know what Brooking had left, after making the Pro-Bowl five times, as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. What Phillips has discovered is that Brooking may just well be the the best free-agent signing in the league. He plays with unbridled emotions and is a real team leader. He had another 8 tackles today, along with a sack and a forced fumble (that was credited to Bradie James, but it could have easily gone to Brooking).

ZEROES

Martellus Bennett, Tight End -- Bennett really didn't have a bad day, per se. But considering how much was expected of the second year pro, he really did have a good one, either. He missed a couple of connections with Romo, where the quarterback looked frustrated with the tight end. He did make a couple of plays, however. So all wasn't lost.

Felix Jones, Kick Returner -- Don't get me wrong. Felix Jones is a star. But so far this season, as a kick returner, he's been average at best. The play that upset me today was his taking a kickoff 5 yards deep and barely making it to the 15-yard-line. The truth is, this woudn't be enough to make the zeroes list normally, but in a week where so much went right, there you have it.

Roy Williams, Wide Receiver -- This is starting to get old. Roy Williams is not a bad wide receiver. But right now he is playing one on TV. I can't understand why he and Romo are having so many problems connecting. In the mean time, he did make a touchdown catch (barely) to redeem himself, slightly. But it seems that every pass Romo sends his way ends poorly. This must be fixed for this team to win down the stretch.

It was a second consecutive strong showing for a team that has been marred by inconsistency for two years. It will be interesting to see how they handle Philadelphia, as the Eagles are coming off a huge win over the Giants. The Eagles have also been inconsistent, but were awesome against New York. Dallas should have a real chip on their shoulders after getting badly embarrassed in Philly at the end of last season. Personally, I think the Cows are up to the challenge.

Here is my pick for next week:

Dallas..............................31
Philadelphia....................20

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Shayneblog All-Time Top 100

The Top 10

Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.

Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.

Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.

This is the tenth and final week.

#100-#91

#90-#81

#80-#71

#70-#61

#60-#51

#50-#41

#40-#31

#30-#21

#20-#11

#10 Cherish – The Association

Of all the songs that bring me back to my childhood, this one does it best. Perhaps my memory plays tricks on me, but I can still see myself sitting in the back of the family car, with my brother in sister there, hearing the whispers of my parents as we were driving through the night, on the way to Florida.

#9 Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner

First there was one girl, and then before I knew what hit me, it was someone else. 1981 was a pivotal time for me as I fell in real love for the first time and got my heart broken for real. That part sucked.

#8 Deacon Blues – Steely Dan

Coming of age is what they call it. At 16, this song said what I felt. I’m sure I wasn’t alone, but I certainly felt that way. An anthem for my time; “This brother is free, I'll be what I want to be…”

#7 It's Too Late – Carole King

Carole King’s voice was an enormous part of my childhood. My sister listened to “Tapestry” all the time and this song gave me a good hint what life and love was all about. My memories recall driving through southern Georgia in the rain on yet another Florida trip. I wonder why that stuck with me?

#6 Old and Wise – Alan Parsons Project

Like “Deacon Blues” (#8), this was anthem for me. Playing guest-DJ on my old radio station, this was the very last song I ever played doing the one job I loved more than any other. It’s sad when we look back and regret. But I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had for anything in the world.

#5 (They Long To Be) Close To You – The Carpenters

That voice! Karen Carpenter can make me cry singing about puppies! Anyone who didn’t have this in their all-time top ten is either heartless, or lying.

#4 Leader of the Band – Dan Fogelberg

Anyone who knows me knows how much Dan Fogelberg meant to me - especially in the early 80’s. “The Innocent Age”, in my opinion, was one of the finest bits of poetry ever put to music and this song was the glue that held it together. The singer himself once said that he believed he was created as a singer just to sing this song. I don’t doubt him for one moment.

#3 Sister Golden Hair – America

No list of mine would be complete without a song by my favorite band. I really got into America a year earlier, when “Holiday” was one of my first two album purchases. But from the very first note of the subsequent “Hearts” LP, I knew I was hooked for life. Whenever your favorite band hits it big, it’s huge. This song went #1 and I’ve never forgotten that feeling.

#2 Wasted Time and Wasted Time (Reprise) – The Eagles

To me, there is no album more remarkable that “Hotel California.” Not one song on the LP disappoints (which is why there are two other songs from that album on this list – and there could easily have been 2-3 more). But as remarkable as this song is, with it’s mournful piano and vocals, the violins in “Reprise” take it up another level. The hits were great. But what made this album the classic it was are the albums cuts, which still stand the test of time.

#1 Sailing – Christopher Cross

Everyone has to have a favorite all-time song and to me, “Sailing” by Christopher Cross fits the bill. I know, a lot of people hate this song because it’s repetitive and a bit nasal. But to a 17-year-old, spending his day lying on a raft in the Atlantic Ocean, too young to really have any real cares in the world, this was as close to heaven as I could imagine. This time, it wasn’t about a lost love, or a breakup or about tears. Just a dream and the wind to carry me and soon I will be free…

I've never been a big fan of the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. While I readily admit that the former-Beatle oozed talent out of his pours, I just never really gave into the "let's all hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya'" scene.

However, I also never really hated the song, either. Like much if Lennon's post-Beatle career, I was mostly apathetic. Oh sure, I digged "Jealous Guy" and really fell in love with "Beautiful Boy" - especially after watching the movie Mr. Holland's Opus. And yes, I was stunned and deeply saddened when his life was taken so early.

But as much as I didn't much care for his later music, I knew enough not to criticize it in public. For a long time, Lennon's music was considered on a different plane than most mere mortals. And based on his incredible writing while a member of the Fab Four, deservedly so. But like so many others who pass away before we are ready to let them go, Mr. Lennon became a martyr, where nothing negative can ever be said.

That's why I couldn't help but laugh when I read the following article by Kurt Schlichter. Schlichter is a former stand-up comic and comedy writer and spent over 20 years in the Army on active duty and in the National Guard, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanding the elite 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry. He also served in both Desert Storm and in Operation Enduring Freedom in Kosovo, as well as in several civilian support missions from the Los Angeles riots of 1992 to the San Diego fires of 2007.

Read it, I don't think you'll forget it:

The Worst Song of All-Time: "Imagine"

In a world of Starland Vocal Bands, Lady GaGas, Bon Jovis, Snoop Doggs and 1910 Fruitgum Companies, it takes real talent to write a song so unbelievably horrible that it transcends mere awfulness and crosses the frontier into a whole new realm of sheer crappiness. An artistic, musical and philosophical failure of staggering proportions, John Lennon’s “Imagine” is the worst song of all time.

Many feel this ballad is a touching hymn that gives voice to man’s yearning for a better world. They are wrong. “Imagine” is a cloying, boggy, sonic swamp of numb-skulled sentiments that sound like they were recycled from a bong-fueled, 2 a.m. bull session between a couple of pampered, credulous UC Berkeley lit majors. It’s the national anthem of the hopey/changey crowd — all at once pretentious, smug, tiresome and intellectually bankrupt.

“Imagine” should – no, must – be banned and all remaining copies of it destroyed. Its continued existence makes mankind a stupider, more boring race.

Some shortsighted people might consider this assessment a bit harsh. They are wrong. Sure, it was a hit in 1971 and still today Imagine remains a radio staple. It has sold millions of copies and inspired a legion of cover versions. Rolling Stone even ranked it third on its roster of the Greatest Songs of All Time.

But these are not testimony to the song’s transcendent quality. They are signs of the apocalypse.

The song begins with a dull piano chord progression that telegraphs to the listener that Something Waaay Profound is in-bound. Then Lennon’s atonal voice pipes up. Let’s leave aside the lyrics for a second – he sounds awful, like some over-earnest troubadour trying too hard to impress the four friends he guilted into coming out on a Wednesday to see him play his new tune over at the Common Grounds coffee house’s weekly open mike.

It’s so ponderous and booorrrinng, seeming to go on forever. It’s the musical equivalent of passing a kidney stone, only not as much fun.

What was Phil Spector, who produced this mess, thinking? Right now, he ought to be thinking that “Imagine” was the second biggest mistake of his life.

And the lyrics – give me a break. Never have so many fawned so shamelessly over such utter nonsense.

The first lines are: “Imagine there’s no heaven/it’s easy if you try.” No, it isn’t, because if there’s no heaven then there’s no hell, and we know that there’s a hell because when this song is playing we’re in it.

And how about “Imagine all the people/Living for today?” Yeah, he’s put his finger on our problem – too many people planning ahead and preparing for the future. This is the kind of powerful, incisive reasoning that led a guy who could take his pick of pretty much any woman in the world to shack up with Yoko Ono. Let me put it another way for emphasis – this guy chose to see Yoko Ono naked. Many times. The only response to someone with that kind of judgment is to listen carefully to what he says and then do the exact opposite.

There’s also the gratuitous commie babbling: “Imagine no possessions/I wonder if you can/No need for greed or hunger/A brotherhood of man/Imagine all the people/Sharing all the world.” To quote a better song by the infinitely more talented Frank Zappa, a man with an admirable lack of patience for such treacle, gag me with a spoon.

I’m not sure of the Lennon timeline, but didn’t he write this nonsense about the same time he ditched England because of the tax bite he was taking to help pay for its socialist welfare state? Sure, depriving a rapacious lefty government of revenue by moving to someplace with a more sensible tax rate is clearly the morally correct thing to do, but isn’t the transparent hypocrisy of this poser a bit much to stomach?

And if all that’s not insipid enough, we also get: “You may say that I’m a dreamer/But I’m not the only one.” Oh, please.

The most galling thing about “Imagine” is how it urges the listener to assume the mantle of that “dreamer,” thereby joining the ranks of the free spirits, bohemians and other assorted loafers, chislers and social parasites who are only too happy to belly up to the table that is our society but who are nowhere to be found when the check arrives:

“Sorry, I can’t be bothered to work to build something or to fight to defend anything – you see, I’m a dreamer, so you just let me know when you’ve gotten everything ready for me to enjoy. Until then, I’ll be here relaxing on my parents’ sofa, pretending to read Gravity’s Rainbow. ”

The only bright spot is that so few folks actually seem to pay attention to its inane lyrics. How else could one explain American Idol’s David Archuleta, the all-American Mormon kid, covering an ode to atheism that even Lennon conceded was pretty close to being the Communist Manifesto set to music? Simon Cowell should have slapped him. Several times.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of music out there that rejects this kind of hippie crap. Sadly, for every one kid whose mind is opened by, say, The Clash or Husker Du, dozens more will sit slack-jawed and nodding vacantly at the moron-bait songs like “Imagine” dangle in front of them.

For me, I smile when I imagine a world without “Imagine.” I guess that would make me a dreamer, except I have a job.

Courtesy of Big Hollywood

I love it...

Repeat offenders.

Just typing the words gives me the creeps.

A week ago, a beautiful 20-year-old young lady from a Chicago suburb was killed while crossing a street near her school (Johns Hopkins University). The girl, Miriam Frankl (the daughter of a friend's friend), was a junior researching amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. She was headed to an event at the Baltimore campus when she was killed this month by a hit-and-run driver.

What makes this death even more tragic is that the driver of the vehicle that hit her has 21 motor vehicle convictions, including six for driving while intoxicated and two for driving under the influence, according to the Baltimore Sun. Authorities have filed a slew of charges against Thomas Meighan, 39, including negligent driving, reckless driving and failure to stop at an accident involving death.

Also according to the paper, Meighan white Ford F250 truck terrorized Baltimore for hours before and after its driver struck Frankl, according to a half-dozen witnesses who told police they saw the vehicle running red lights, tailgating other drivers and driving the wrong way on a one-way street throughout the day.

21 motor vehicle convictions!!!

And yet, according to a Baltimore Police spokesman, the best the city can do is put him away for 10 years.

And then what?

Listen, my grandfather was killed by a drunk driver 27 years ago. As bad as the laws are now, they were far worse in Texas in 1982. I'll give you that.

But 10 years??

And just how are they going to keep this asshole from getting behind the wheel again? Our judicial system is broken and it's only getting worse. My heart bleeds for this young girl and her family and friends.

The only good news that came out of this horrific episode is that the family is donating the young lady's organs so others may benefit from her death. Again, this is something obviously near and dear to me.

And then I read the story of David Sanchez, out of Orlando...

From WFTV in Orlando: “An illegal immigrant in Palm Bay faces multiple counts of sexual battery after officers say he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl. David Sanchez, 28, investigators say, used a family friendship to rape the child. Sanchez is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who has already been deported once for doing the same thing to another child in Alabama. Investigators say he returned to the U.S. in mid-2008 where he began having an unlawful sexual relationship with a then, 12-year-old child.”

Don Surber asks,

"Why are we deporting child molesters?

Put them in the can for 50 years and then deport them.

The expense?

Some 13-year-old girl — victim No. 2 — just paid a helluva price for our cheapness."

I would throw up, if I wasn't so busy crying.

Dallas Cowboys
Heroes & Zeroes
Game Six

Dallas Cowboys 37 Atlanta Falcons 21

For the first time all season, the Cowboys took on a team with a winning record. Atlanta, coming off a solid victory over Chicago and a 4-1 record, seemed to be a tough challenge for Dallas. The Cowboys, on the other hand, while 3-2, had not played very well in their last game (two weeks ago against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs). On paper, it looked like a game Dallas was destined to lose.

But someone forgot to tell the Cowboys. Even after the Falcons ran a 16-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to start the game, the Cows looked focused and prepared. This was a far cry from the previous few games and once the Falcons second drive started, Dallas' defense took over. Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware sacked Matt Ryan on back to back plays (Ryan, who is sacked an average of less than once a game, had not been taken down in 143 pass plays before those two sacks).

The rest of the game belonged to Tony Romo, who resembled the same Tony Romo of seasons past. He scrambled, he got out of sure tackles and he was deadly accurate all game long. His 5-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton was a work of art.

HEROES

Tony Romo, Quarterback -- Romo had been much-maligned in recent weeks, but he came up big today. He was sharp throwing the ball, confident in the pocket and really resembled the Romo who made the Pro-Bowl two years ago. Without realizing it, he is turning in a terrific statistical year. His 311 yards passing broke the team record for most 300-yard passing games. Not bad for a guy who was a bench warmer 3 1/2 short years ago.

Miles Austin, Wide Receiver -- Making the second start of his career, Austin proved he is no fluke and has quickly turned into Romo's #1 receiver. Simply put, the guy runs sharp routes, catches everything around him, has blazing speed and is hard to bring down. His style is very reminiscent of Hines Ward of the Steelers. Over the past two games, Austin has caught 16 passes for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns. Remarkable.

DeMarcus Ware, Linebacker -- After finally getting his first two sacks of the season two weeks ago, Ware finally regained the form that made him the runner-up to Defensive Player of the Year. He recorded two sacks, which as I mentioned above is no easy talk against Matt Ryan, and he forced a key fumble, which led to Austin's 59-yard touchdown catch on the very next play. For Dallas to compete, they need Ware to continue to have games like this.

ZEROES

Allan Rossum, Kick Returner -- Rossum was signed this past week because the Cowboys felt it was too much for Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Terrence Newman to handle, since they are so involved in their other responsibilities. It came to head a couple of weeks ago when Crayton muffed a punt and almost fumbled a second one. So they signed the veteran Rossum to handle kickoffs and punts. However, on his very first attempt, he pulled a hamstring and was lost for the game. However, when given his second chance, Crayton returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, to put the game out of reach.

Cowboys' Running Backs -- Supposedly the strength of the club, the dynamic trio of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice only mustered 84 yards on 22 carries - which included 20 yards in garbage time at the end of the game. While the team went over the century mark, due to Tony Romo's 31 yards (on 6 carries), that is a huge let down - especially when you realize that Barber and Jones were both healthy for the first time in 5 weeks.

Roy Williams, Wide Receiver -- 12 months ago, the Cowboys gave up two number one draft choices for the former Longhorn star receiver. They are yet to see the dividends. Clearly surpassed by Miles Austin as the number one go-to guy, Williams had perhaps hos worst game as a Cowboy. He had just one catch for 16 yards, two dropped passes, an interference penalty and seemed out of sync with his quarterback. However, Williams is not only a very talented receiver, but a very proud one as well. I would be surprised if he sulks the way Terrell Owens did.

Over all, it was a big win against an upper-echelon team. Not only did they beat the Falcons, but they outplayed and out hustled them. On the downside, they still committed too many penalties and had to rely on Romo's heroics to put the game away. But the defense was stout and the emotion, which seemed missing just a few weeks ago, was back with a vengeance. Overnight, the Cowboys went from mediocre to a legitimate contender.

Let's see if they can learn some consistency.

Here is my pick for next game (in two weeks):

Dallas..............................27
Seattle.............................16

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Shayneblog All-Time Top 100

#11-#20

Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.

Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.

Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.

This is the ninth week.

#100-#91

#90-#81

#80-#71

#70-#61

#60-#51

#50-#41

#40-#31

#30-#21

#20 Here I Am – Air Supply

Wow, I can’t believe this song is 27 years old. It really does seem like yesterday that I was crying over this breakup (it wouldn’t be the last time). Yeah, we were young. But it was devastating, nonetheless.

#19 Rocket Man – Elton John

In the summer of ’72, I went to Atlantic City with my sister and grandparents. He beach was fine, but we stayed in a hotel where the average age of the residents was 75 – and that included my 18-year-old sister and me! But the music was great.

#18 A Hard Day's Night – The Beatles

I don’t know why this was always my favorite Beatles’ song. Maybe it was the innocence of the time. But even though I have listened to them for years, this song still reminds me of then. Way back then. I was only 2-years-old, but my soundtrack was growing.

#17 Crystal Blue Persuasion – Tommy James and the Shondells

Another “period” piece that stuck with me. The song made no sense (unless you were on drugs). But I guess that was the point of the psychedelic era. I really miss those innocent times.

#16 Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond played a big role in my soundtrack. He may be just a caricature of himself today, but he was definitely talented. This song takes me back to those summer trips in the car to Florida. I can still remember hearing my brother yell at my sister to stop singing “that stupid song!”

#15 I Won't Hold You Back – Toto

Maybe I loved her, maybe I just wanted to. She was such a pretty and sweet girl, how could I not? But I was young and stupid and I let her go. But she’s happy and has a good life. I do think about her sometimes and wonder “what if”. Sometimes we just don’t understand the ramifications of our decisions and sometimes, we’re too weak to make the right ones.

#14 Telephone Line – Electric Light Orchestra

As talentless as I was, I was in a band in 8th grade. At the time, I was absolutely mesmerized by ELO and their album “A New World Record” and all I wanted to do was emulate the great Jeff Lynne. While I failed miserably, I had the time of my life. Before you laugh, how many of you would have the nerve to sing in front of an audience? My band mate and best friend was Stuart Altman. Just 2 years later, a car accident took his life way too early. It’s been 30 years now and I still miss him every day.

#13 My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder

My brother loved this song. I, as a 6-year-old boy, idolized my brother. Plus, this was Stevie Wonder and it was Motown. Perfect.

#12 The Smile Has Left Her Eyes - Asia

Back in ’83, MTV was all the rage. Asia was made for this new venue and we all loved their sound. It climaxed with this video. A month later, the hype of their live concert on MTV (“Asia in Asia”) was unreal. Then the lead singer quit. Although the show went on, it was a joke and the band was no more. It’s a terrible shame when egos get in the way.

#11 The Times of Tour Life – Paul Anka

Let’s see, a song about memories, a commercial about puppy dogs and a 12-year-old emo kid before there was such a thing as emo. Pure gold. I still get choked up when I hear this song. Green Day’s non-version was good, but they couldn’t hold a candle to Paul Anka.

Quick Takes

So Keith Olbermann is horrified that President Bush (41) called him (and Rachel Maddow) "sick puppies." Yet, where was Olby's horror when he himself called Michelle Malkin a “mashed-up bag of meat”?

Speaking of the sick puppies, the two "stars" of MSNBC were among the invitees to an off-the-record meeting at the White House, with President Obama. I find it very interesting that Obama will go completely unhinged over the fact that FOX News employs opinionators, and therefore is labeled "not a news organization," yet Olby and Maddow are exactly that on MSNBC, and that's ok.

It's not okay, but it is the "Chicago way."

Why don't the Dems realize that we just don't want it?

Alan Grayson, your 15 minutes of fame ended hours ago. Go away and DLTDHOTWO*

According to Gallup: The 9-point drop (in popularity) in the most recent quarter is the largest Gallup has ever measured for an elected president between the second and third quarters of his term, dating back to 1953." Yikes, and whoa.

Anybody who thought that they years had mellowed Louis Farrakhan must be sadly disappointed. His comments - that the "flu vaccine is a plot to kill black people" would be so funny, if it weren't so sad. How many children (and adults) will suffer from Louie's audacious lies?

I realize many in the black community look up to this idiot (as well as those other race hustlers - Sharpton and Jesse Jackson). But how is but possible that these folks don't understand the damage being done to them by these crooks?

And lastly, a little humor to end this post. Yes, these people really exist.

*don't let the door hit you on the way out

Heading Home

From dust to dust
The night settles down
Across the winding roads
Through the lonely ghost towns

Where it will take you
Is all in your mind
Far off dreams and clouded paths
Echoed signals you've left behind

Heading north
The sky turns bright
The lights flash on and lead your way
Running from a past that's fading away

Once you find the signs
That tell you that you're home
Stop and rejoice
You're not alone

This is one of the best commentaries I've read, regarding the Iranian leadership (and I use that term very lightly). I simply can not understand the naivete of our President. If he isn't naive, than he is criminally negligent and traitorous. So I think I'll go with simple-minded and foolish (naive).

How else can he dare compare the purpose of American nuclear technologies, of Israeli nuclear technologies and other free democracies, with that of North Korea and Iran?

One of the saddest aspects of this current rendition of liberalism, which seems to have overrun our government (of course, of which they are responsible for encouraging and following) is the vile belief in moral equivalence. To today's liberals, The genocidal suicide cult that is the Islamic Republic of Iran is of equal moral standing to that of the United States of America, and probably more so than the State of Israel - whose only real crime is defending herself.

There is a certain sickness to these kind of beliefs, just like there is a certain sickness environmentalists who forget that human beings are a product of nature as well. But I will rant later about the hypocrisy of the environmentalist movement (this is not to say that caring for the earth is wrong).

I have watched Obama attempt to do all of the things liberals blamed George Bush of doing. I have watched as Obama has made friends with our worst enemies, and then made enemies of our friends. I have watched as Obama meddled in the affairs of Honduras and Israel, yet refused to lift a finger to help the freedom movement in Iran. I have watched as he promised Poland that he would keep his word and place a missile defense system in Poland, only to renege - for nothing in return - in order to appease a growling Russia.

I have watched as Obama appoints extremely radical "Czars" without congressional approval, only to have them embarrass the President when FOX News discovered who these radicals were. I watched as peaceful rallies popped up all over America, only to have the administration call those citizens "Nazis", "Racists" and "rednecks". I've watched as the President of the United States ignores the majority will of the people he was elected to serve by continuing to push a health care bill we not not only afford, but do not want.

And I have watched as the administration continues to shame themselves by getting into a pissing contest with a major news network. I mean, does it seem odd that the President would meet with the worst thugs of the world, but won't meet with Mike Wallace at FOX News?

Even Nixon met with the press he hated. George Bush never refused to be on MSNBC. Each and every day, President Obama makes himself into a smaller man. What many moderates felt was a man who "stood above the fray" has turned into a man who fiddles while Rome (Afghanistan) burns.

Anyway, check out this article. I know you will be glad you did:

Regime Is Iran's Disease; Nukes Are Just a Symptom
Jonah Goldberg

The Nobel Peace Prize has renewed prestige in my book. No, not because Barack Obama won it for accomplishments to be determined later. It's got new luster because Shirin Ebadi has, at great personal risk, effectively come out for regime change in her native Iran.

Ebadi, who won the Peace Prize six years ago (under the old rules whereby recipients were expected to do something to earn the prize before receiving it), is Iran's premier human rights lawyer. In an interview with the editors of the Washington Post, Ebadi "suggested that the nature of Iran's regime is more crucial to U.S. security than any specific deals on nuclear energy."

Her point is precisely the same point made by so-called neoconservatives for years. The problem with Iran is its regime; its nuclear program is merely a symptom of that problem.

Do you lay awake at night worrying about Britain's nuclear weapons? France's? Israel's? Of course not, because stable democracies in general, and stable democratic allies in particular, aren't a threat.

If your neighbor is an upright and responsible citizen, who cares if he has a gun? If your neighbor is a complete whackjob and criminal, you sure as Shinola care if he has a gun. Armed neighbors aren't a problem, dangerous ones are. The same logic applies to nations.

"Imagine if the government actually promised to stop its nuclear program tomorrow," Ebadi told the Post. "Would you trust this government not to start another secret nuclear program somewhere else?"

It's a profound and fundamental point. We've gotten many such promises from the North Koreans. They are worthless. Promises from oppressive regimes cannot be trusted any more than promises from Tony Soprano could be. If a government is willing to betray its own people on a daily basis, what makes anyone think that it won't betray its geopolitical adversaries?

A democratic Iran, Ebadi says, would be unlikely to pursue a nuclear program. The Iranian people fear sanctions more than the country's corrupt, economically insulated rulers do. Moreover, the Iranian regime needs nukes for its own survival. The Iranian people may like the prestige of being a member of the nuclear club, but they aren't eager to pay any price to join. More important, the Iranian people aren't interested in preserving the current regime, as has been demonstrated by the historic protests this summer.

But even if Iran did go nuclear, who really cares as long as the nutty, messianic, totalitarian leadership is gone? A stable, democratic regime concerned with economic growth and normalcy might not be perfect, but which sort of government would you rather see in charge of nuclear weapons?

Democracy is not necessarily a cure-all. Palestinians in Gaza held elections and swept Hamas to power. But the Iranians aren't Gazans. And while America is despised by most nations in the region, the U.S. is actually popular with the Iranian people.

Ebadi doesn't want America to topple the Iranian regime the way it toppled Saddam Hussein's. Or, if she does, she's certainly smart enough not to say so outright, given that her family is under constant surveillance by Iranian authorities. What she wants is for America to get its priorities straight. Iran, which has been sponsoring terror for 30 years, is a threat because the Iranian regime is a threat. Change the regime and the threat diminishes or vanishes instantaneously. We had a golden opportunity to accelerate regime change in June, but Obama blinked.

Enamored with the idea that "engagement" with evil will produce good, and convinced that a brutal, undemocratic regime is the legitimate representative of the Iranian people, Obama was slow to recognize the moral authority of the democracy movement. By the time he did say what he should have said at the outset, it was clear that his grudging and qualified support for the protestors had no steel to it. The Iranian regime recognized that it would have a free hand to murder and intimidate its own people in order to reconsolidate power after it stole the election. This was a sad moment for the leader of the free world. "Mr. Obama has extended the hand of friendship to a man who has blood on his hands," Ebadi told the Post. "He can at least avoid shaking the hand of friendship with him."

There are rumors -- unconfirmed at this point -- that the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Khamenei, is either dead or in a coma. If true, the resulting power vacuum might give Obama the chance for a do-over. That is, if he's interested in earning a peace prize, not just winning one.

I hate to admit, these are some really good questions. I wonder how liberals would answer. Actually, no I don't. I already know.

10 Questions to Ask About Radical Muslims
by Tawfik Hamid

I pose the following rhetorical questions to promote better understanding of radical Muslims.

Question No. 1: What would liberals say to women who are stoned to death for adultery, to gays facing capital punishment, and to Muslims beheaded for converting from Islam to another faith, all according to Islamic law? Will liberals say that they must show “tolerance” and accept this barbarism as a matter of respect for religious values or stand against inhumane laws?

No. 2: Where can we find Shariah books that clearly stand against the above violence? Instead of trying to convince the world that Shariah is peaceful and that it is all a matter of different interpretations, it would be much better if the liberals asked the leading Islamic scholars to declare unambiguously that stoning women, killing gays, and beheading apostates are unacceptable.

No. 3: Why do the liberal thinkers try to find justifications for terrorism such as poverty, lack of education, and the historical “feeling of injustice” among Muslims at the hands of the West? The Jews were exposed to some of the worst forms of suffering and torture in human history at the hands of the Nazis, yet they have not performed terrorist acts against German civilians.

No. 4: Muslims in the West enjoy rights as equal citizens. However, leading Islamic scholars call Jews in the Muslim world pigs and monkeys, Christians are not allowed easy access to build churches, and the Baha’i community is discriminated against in many parts of the Muslim world. Who really should feel angry?

No. 5: Why are socioeconomic conditions and political circumstances often used to justify acts of terrorism committed by Muslims? Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus live under the same circumstances and do not instigate such a level of violence. What is the reason for this selectivity?

No. 6: Why do liberals demonstrate against Israel for killing Palestinian civilians, which is unintentional and happens because Palestinian terrorists hide among the victims, yet do not use their passion to demonstrate against Hamas, which has killed "Palestinian" civilians intentionally? Note: Hamas assassinated three children of its opponent Dahlan, who was the head of Intelligence of the Palestinian Authority.

No. 7: The Arab-Israeli conflict often is viewed as a historical source of modern-day terrorism, yet how could this possibly explain why Muslims have killed and mutilated the dead bodies of fellow Muslims in areas such as Iraq and Algeria?

No. 8: If non-Muslims were to begin promoting the idea that “Muslims are pigs and monkeys,” would the liberals stand against this or would they remain silent, as they usually do when Muslims call Jews by these names?

No. 9: If a Muslim decided to follow in the “footsteps” of the Prophet Muhammad by marrying and having sex with a 9-year-old girl, would liberal thinkers stand against this or allow it to happen out of respect for religious freedom? Note: This story is mentioned in Al-Buchary, the most authentic hadith book in the Sunni world, but it is not in the Quran and the age of marriage is different in Shia books.

No. 10: How would liberals respond if radical Muslims declared war on them and used the standard Shariah rule to offer the three choices of conversion to Islam, paying a humiliating tax called the jizya, or be killed? Would liberals respect these religious values by accepting one of these options OR stand against such barbarism in order to protect human civilization?

Dr. Tawfik Hamid is the author of "Inside Jihad." He is a former associate of Dr. al-Zawahiri (second in command of al-Qaida) who now is a reformer of Islam. For more information, visit www.tawfikhamid.com. Hamid's writings in this blog represent only his thoughts and not the views of the institute where he works.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Shayneblog All-Time Top 100

#21-#30

Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.

Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.

Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.

This is the eighth week.

#100-#91

#90-#81

#80-#71

#70-#61

#60-#51

#50-#41

#40-#31

#30 I Go Crazy – Paul Davis

Most of my friends loved the song “Sometimes When We Touch” by Dan Hill, which was the top ballad at the time. Instead, I loved the tragic beauty of this Paul Davis classic, which really has passed the test of time.

#29 Somebody's Baby – Jackson Browne

I just arrived in Manhattan for college and the very first social event (there were many, many more) was going to see “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” I wasn’t so into Rhonda, but her 5-foot friend was adorable.

#28 Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver

This came out when we took our first driving trip from Dallas to New York. The interstate wasn’t completed yet, so we drove through these winding country roads in Virginia and West Virginia. From there, a romance with the open road was born.

#27 Make It With You – Bread

David Gates’ angelic voice simply mesmerized me. This song takes me back to a summer trip back in 1970 (Florida). I can still feel the comfort of hearing my parent’s voices from the back seat. For a while, the world worked the way it was supposed to.

#26 Side Show - Blue Magic

I don’t know what made me sadder – the lyrics or the mournful sound of Ted Mills voice. But the story was so tragic it used to make me cry. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been to circus in 40 years.

#25 Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves – Cher

I was never a Cher fan, but I did like the Sonny and Cher show. Regardless, Cher had a way with rhapsodizing about the downtrodden and forgotten. The song sounds cheeky today (and probably did back then). But it was infectious and a huge hit.

#24 Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O'Sullivan

No one song reflected my inherent sadness as a child quite as well as this one did. “I cried and cried all day” was what I did a lot of when I was young. Plus, the fear of losing my parents was so strong that I sometimes couldn’t breathe. How did that happen?

#23 Keep The Customer Satisfied - Simon and Garfunkel

I loved Simon and Garfunkel growing up (see #43 – “The Only Living Boy in New York”). But I’m told I used to sing this song out loud constantly in my house. I can understand why.

#22 Traces - The Classics IV

Some kids are lulled to sleep with nursery rhymes and children’s songs. I fell asleep to the radio and rock and roll. As I’ve mentioned countless times, I often cried myself to sleep by sad music. This Classics IV tune still affects me the same way whenever I hear it still.

#21 One On One – Daryl Hall & John Oates

No one was bigger than Hall & Oates in 1983. I can still see myself riding the “A” train to Midtown to go on a date, with this song ringing in my ears. It’s a song that had it come out 10 years earlier; it would have had the same effect on me that “Traces” did. But being 20, at the time, it simply set the romantic mood for the time.

I first heard about this from Glenn Beck. But after doing my own due diligence, I can only say "HOLY CRAP!"

Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, Has a Favorite Politician: Mass-Murderer Mao Tse-Tung (But Fox News Is Her Enemy)

Posted at Doug Ross

Detecting a pattern yet?

• Van Jones, a self-described Communist, was Barack Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" until he was forced to resign over his alleged support for 9/11 Truther insanity.

• Mark Lloyd, the so-called "FCC Diversity Czar", is a Statist thug that has carefully devised plans to silence conservative talk radio using a racial quota system.

• And Anita Dunn, who stated that the White House is "treating Fox News as they would treat any other enemy." Anita Dunn, the White House Communications Director who lists Mao Tse-Tung as her political idol. Mao! The same Mao Tse-Tung that The New York Times calls a "mass-murderer" on par with Hitler.

It is impossible to imagine official homage in Germany for Hitler or in Russia for Stalin. And yet Mao was a destroyer of the same class as Hitler and Stalin. He exhibited his taste for killing from the early 1930's, when, historians now estimate, he had thousands of his political adversaries slaughtered. Ten years later, still before the Communist victory, more were executed at his guerrilla headquarters at Yan'an.

Hundreds of thousands of landlords were exterminated in the early 1950's. From 1959 to 1961 probably 30 million people died of hunger — the party admits 16 million — when Mao's economic fantasies were causing peasants to starve and he purged those who warned him of the scale of the disaster.

Many more perished during the Cultural Revolution, when Mao established a special unit, supervised by Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, to report to him in detail the sufferings of hundreds of imprisoned leaders who had incurred the chairman's displeasure.

One of the chairman's secretaries, Li Rui, wrote recently, "Mao was a person who did not fear death, and he did not care how many were killed."

During a June 2008 speech, Dunn described her political inspirations.

And the third tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers, Mao Tse Tung and Mother Teresa... the two people that I turn to most to basically deliver a simple plan.

...which is you're going to make choices, you're going to challenge, you're going to say why not, you're going to figure out how to do things no one's ever done before... here's the deal, they're your choices ...

In 1947, when Mao Tse-Tung was being challenged within his own party... to take China over, Chiang Kai-Shek [and his soldiers] held the cities, held the armies, held the air force... the people can say can say how you can do this? Mao said, 'You fight your war, I'll fight mine'... you don't have to accept the definition of how to do things... you fight your own war.

So Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, has a favorite politician: the Hitler of China, Mao Tse-Tung. The man who slaughtered 70 million innocents.

But Fox News is the "enemy".

Un-f***ing-believable.


Hat tip: Brutally Honest. Others on the case: Michelle Malkin, Ace o' Spades, Hot Air Pundit.

No wonder we now want to change back! I can only imagine what the world will be like on my 48th birthday. Even Hillary is looking better, when compared to this disaster-in-chief.

Is it my imagination, or is the Obama administration the most petty administration since Nixon? I mean, yeah - it was pretty lame when the Clintonistas removed all the "W" keys from all the White House computers. Also, Hillary's ridiculous notion of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" was not only foolish, but it made her look very weak.

But none of that compares to Obama's "war" on FOX News. I know there are many people who do not like FOX (although, the numbers tell a different story). But it is not the job of the mainstream media to be "friends" with the government. In addition, the President only lowers himself when he comes across as petty and divisive (Nixon, anyone?).

Simply put, Obama not only won't win a pissing contest with FOX, but he will embarrass himself (and his administration) trying.

************************

It was nice to see that common sense finally prevailed in the case of the 6-year-old boy who was suspended from kindergarten, for bringing his favorite camping tool to school. The tool, a Swiss Army-type combination of fork, spoon, bottle opener and knife, that he uses for his Cub Scout trips, was brought to school because he wanted to use it with his lunch. According to the published account:

Zachary had no idea that it was wrong to take his favorite camping tool to class. When the teacher asked for it when he got off the bus, he handed it over, unaware that he was already in serious trouble. He went to class while his principal called his mother.“She said that I needed to come to the school immediately; that Zachary had brought a dangerous weapon into school, and I needed to come and pick him up. He would be suspended for five days pending a disciplinary action committee hearing. She said that he had a knife,” Christie told Vieira.

In addition to his suspension, the school determined that as punishment, the child would be forced to spend 45 days in a reform school.

Thankfully, the school board reviewed their zero sanity policy and realized that sending him to a reform school for what was unquestionably an accident was ridiculous and they took back the suspension and punishment.

Did I mention the child was SIX YEARS OLD? A number of school districts around the country are beginning to see the stupidity of having a set-in-stone policy, regarding zero tolerance. Waco, Texas, for example, has already removed the policy from their district and others are beginning to do the same.

The problem was not the idea of zero tolerance. It's that nothing is black and white. There are always going to be extenuating circumstances. But by creating a blanket policy, they lump the criminals in with the unaware and punish them equally.

That is always going to be a problem with blanket policies. It is also why ObamaCare is a mistake. By setting up a blanket policy for everyone, those who fall in the cracks, or those who do not really fit the exact criteria will be lumped in with those who completely don't. There is no gray area where their is bureaucracy.

If you don't believe me, tell me how I'm wrong. Better yet, show me where it's worked.

************************

Well apparently, the group attempting to buy the St. Louis Rams has decided to do so without Rush Limbaugh. I think the whole thing is ridiculous. First of all, I have listened to Rush on many occasions and while there is no doubt he is a lightning rod, I have never found him to be a racist. As a matter of fact, I have read a number of glowing articles by prominent conservative African-Americans regarding their respect and admiration for the man.

The people portraying Rush (as well as conservatives in general) as racists are those who prefer to keep the black community in its place - poverty stricken and drug infested. Why? Because as long as they stay "down", they will continue to need the Democrats to give them their fixes.

Think I'm racist for saying that? Then that means you find Thomas Sowell, Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Michael Steele racists, as well. And don't forget Bill Cosbie.

Think about this, what would Al Sharpton do if he wasn't creating a race war? Perhaps instead of screaming about the Rush Limbaugh's of the world, he should do something about all the kids in Chicago who are murdered each year. But if you blame it on the lack of male role models in the black community, you're deemed a racist.

Face it, the experiment doesn't work. Taking away incentives to work simply creates poverty and dependence. Of course, with what Obama is doing to the unemployment numbers, we'll all be out of work soon, anyway.

************************

One last comment on Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Whether or not he deserved it, as an American, I am proud of our President for winning it. However, under no circumstance do I feel it was deserved. In fact, I have no doubt in my mind that it was awarded not because of "Hope and Change", but as a way for the Norwegians to promote their own philosophy of the world. Don't be fooled by these awards - they are ALWAYS political.

************************

Speaking of hope and change...

It's been a while, but some times you just need a little Garth in your life. I know I do.

The River

You know a dream is like a river
Ever changing as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes

Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores...and

I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today

So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say your satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide...yes

I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

And there's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the Good Lord as my Captain
I can make it through them all..yes

I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Dallas Cowboys
Heroes & Zeroes
Week Five

Dallas Cowboys 26 Kansas City Chiefs 20 (OT)

If you are what your record says you are, then the Cowboys are better than they seem to be. Under no circumstances should Dallas have played so close to the level of the Chiefs, who are now sitting at 0-5. O the bright side, the Cowboys out-played Kansas City by a wide margin. The total yards (498-304), the time of possession (at one point it was almost 2-1) and the quality of the two teams should have made this a blowout. But two terrible fumbles, an outrageous 13 penalties (including four offsides on one drive!) and perhaps the most unforgivable, a personal foul on Alan Ball - which turned a 4th and 28 to a 1st and 10 late in the game.

But the real culprit was the fourth quarter defense, once again. After allowing the Giants to come back late in game two to win it, the Cowboys did it again last week, when they let up a 78 yard drive late to allow Denver to win. This time, after Miles Austin made the play to finally give the team their first lead with about 3 minutes left, this same Cowboy "D" gives up a 74 yard drive against a team that - at this point - had amassed a grand total of 107 yards all day.

But the defense stiffened in the overtime and Miles Austin came to the rescue again.

HEROES

Miles Austin, Wide Receiver -- Making the first start of his career (replacing the injured Roy Williams), Austin made the most of his opportunities. It took a while, as he dropped a sure TD in the first quarter and then another in the second. But he made up for it in a big way, as he caught 10 balls for 250 yards and two touchdown - including the 60-yard game winner in overtime. Along the way, he broke Bob Hayes 33-year-old record for most yards receiving by a Cowboy.

Keith Brooking, Linebacker -- For the second week in a row, Brooking, was all over the place today. He made his first sack of the season and led the team with 11 more tackles and assists. His enthusiasm is also a very welcome sign for a team that seems to be lacking a lot of it. But credit should also be given the Anthony Spencer, who made a number of big plays (finally) and DeMarcus Ware, who contributed his first two sacks of the year (finally).

Tashard Choice, Running Back -- While making the most of his limited opportunities, Choice once again showed why he should be in the running back rotation. With Marion Barber still looking less than 100%, Choice made a huge difference in the running game, totalling 92 yards on just 8 carries. If he can improve against blitzes, he could be starting for this team.

ZEROES

Flozell Adams, Tackle -- Flozell had perhaps hos worst game in many years. The Cowboys can ill afford mental breakdowns, and the team accepts that Flo will jump offsides at least once a game. But today he was called for three penalties and was constantly beaten by Tyson Jackson, and whoever else he was assigned to. On one critical play in overtime, he didn't even manage to get out of his stance before the defender got by him.

Alan Ball, Safety -- It was Ball's boneheaded play that allowed Kansas City new life after being faced with a 3rd and 28. There was no reason for him to come in so hard with his shoulder (and ultimately, his helmet). While the Chiefs were unable to score after that (they had their field Goal blocked), a stop there would have given Dallas the advantage in field position and they may never have needed overtime.

Wade Phillips, Head Coach -- 13 penalties and a lack of fire. This team was poorly coached once again. A good coach gives his players the tools to perform on the field. However, a team that commits as many errors as Dallas did today is a team that is undisciplined. Once again, the Cowboys were unable to get out of their own way and the lack of discipline is a direct reflection of the head coach. In addition, Dallas was unable to come up with an interception (again) and only sacked the most sacked QB in the league three times - and one of those was barely a sack. This team is ill-prepared to face the better teams and unless something drastic happens, will be exposed brutally in the coming weeks.

Thankfully, Dallas enters the bye week and now has time to heal their wounds. Tony Romo was sharp today and although he was credited with one fumble, the blame belonged to Andre Gurode. His passes were on target and he never seemed to panic. The running game was also solid and getting Felix Jones back in two weeks will help. Perhaps they have found the answer at receiver in Miles Austin as well. But unless the Cowboys stop making stupid errors - at that will not happen as log as Wade does not dish out some serious punishments - the will continue to find themselves in dogfights against even the weakest teams.

Here is my pick for next game (in two weeks):

Dallas..............................24
Atlanta.............................17

I found this over at Atlas Shrugged. This is perhaps the most elegant response I've yet heard to the honor bestowed to President Obama. Nidra Poller is an American writer and journalist who has lived in Paris since 1972 and a devout friend of Israel.*

YES VIRGINIA, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA DESERVES HIS NOBEL-PEACE-PRIZE

Paris 9 October 2009

Nidra Poller

Surprised? Shocked? Outraged? Not me. I’m delighted to see that the Nobel-Peace-Prize has been awarded to the person who most richly deserves it. Not only has he made gigantic efforts to promote Nobel-Peace in his nine short months in office but as president of the residually powerful United States of America he has the superforce to impose Nobel-style peace.

President and Nobel Prince of Peace Obama is not naïve, inept, inexperienced, or wet behind the ears. He is practicing what he preached. He has already fulfilled more promises than most voters ever suspected were being made. And the way things are going, only a miracle will keep him from delivering on the rest.

Bat Ye’or teaches us the meaning of peace in our times, the peace of dhimmitude, the peace that Nobel Norwegians have dutifully honored. It is the peace of convert or die…or hang in by the skin of your teeth. When the heads have been severed from the stiff necks that refuse Islam, when the converted have been folded into the prostrate masses of the ummah, the dhimmis hand over the keys to their granges, their wives and children, their hearts and minds, their lands and dwellings in exchange for a fragile peace requiring endless sacrifice and constant restraint.

This is the peace of dhimmitude, this is the peace Nobelly rewarded in…uhhh…Oslo, right? And B Hussein O is the most deserving laureate. On the very day the prize was announced, forty people were killed in a jihad attack in Peshawar Pakistan. Do you remember, way back when, during the campaign, he narrowed his eyes and said Iraq’s a distraction, let me get my hands on the trigger and I’ll take care of Pakistan. There you have it. A promise keeper of the first order. Iraq was also a distraction from Afghanistan. So mister Taliban tally your bananas, we’ve got other fish to fry, do your jihad thing and we’ll lower our eyes, peace be upon you.

President Obama’s Cairo speech alone earned him enough points to get this prize hands down. His bow to the king of Saudi Arabia. His consistent snubbing of European leaders. His betrayal of Poland and the Czech Republic. His outstretched hand that reaches all the way to Iran’s nuclear sites and protects them from rain, hail, and Israel. His betrayal of Persians yearning for democracy. His reluctance to look into McChrystal’s ball and find some kind of half way plausible strategy for the overseas contingency whatchamegig in Afghanistan.

Am I being coy? Why haven’t I mentioned his master plan for the nuclear disarmament of… Israel!

Leaving the best for last. Even if he had not done all of the above, dayenu, he would be worthy of being hoisted on high in the Nobel firmament because he has declared war on Jewish construction in choice neighborhoods of al Quds and wannabe Palestine. Donche know, if you want peace be prepared to make war. And if you want the peace of jihad, make war on the Jews. Point your finger at them like a smoking gun. Sock it to ‘em like a latter day koranic saint. Grab them by the scruff of the neck and scold them for all the world to see. Sic ‘em with Goldstone, saddle them with Abbas, and send them to bed without dinner and ammunition. They wanted planes to fight to win? Stop the program, cancel the contracts, and if they holler strangle them with peace. Play footsy with Hamas, set up a mahjong date with Ahmadinejad, make cuddly eyes at Assad, and secretly decorate the private quarters of the White House with shahid posters, who would dare to protest?

Did you hear the latest? Anonymous sources have leaked to the press a flood of indignation from the peaceful Obama to you know who in the holy land. Aha! You thought he was fed up because his moderate ally Abu Mazen has reverted to PLO same o same o? Stirring up trouble on the Temple Mount because a bunch of French tourists got in the way of some irate Palestinian rocks? Which naturally led the Palestinians to go on a rampage in the narrow lanes of the Old City. How can President Obama call for the creation of a Palestinian state the day after tomorrow when his protégés are rousing a billion and a half Muslims to protect al Aqsa…from French tourists?

No. That’s not why the Nobelly anointed young man is indignant. He is pissed off because Israelis are badmouthing him. Big shots and little guys in the street and on the beach, officials and cab drivers and housewives and left wing columnists are criticizing him.

Watch out. Even a Nobel-Peace-Prizer can lose his temper and explode. But then, who would blame him? What’s more dangerous for world peace, a flock of Taliban or a gaggle of chuzpadike Israelis?

Hail to the Chief for reaching out to the Taliban and forgiving them for he knows not what they do, reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood in all its forms and machinations, reaching out to the democratically elected Ahmadinejad and drawing a veil over the rape of the innocents, reaching out to Putin over the half dead body of Georgia…and trying to close Gitmo if only the jack-in-the-box would sit down and shut up.

And if he manages to push his health care revolution bill down US throats, they’ll give him the Nobel Prize for Medicine next year. On the other hand, if he can maintain double digit unemployment and bring the dollar down to parity with the yuan he could outdistance Mugabe for the Nobel Prize for Economics.

A Nobel Prize to the wise is sufficient: when you hear the word “peace” praise the lord and pass the ammunition.

*This blog post was composed on Friday and forward-posted for Sunday.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Shayneblog All-Time Top 100

#31-#40

Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.

Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.

Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.

This is the seventh week.

#100-#91

#90-#81

#80-#71

#70-#61

#60-#51

#50-#41

#40 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Paul and Linda McCartney

Even though the Beatles broke up before my 8th birthday, I was a big fan. Of course, like many (but obviously not all), I loved Paul the most. Ironically, as I got older, I discovered the awesome talents of George and John as well. But in the 70’s, it was Paul McCartney for me.

#39 Downbound Train – Bruce Springsteen

I admit I am not a huge fan of the Boss, and never was. But “Born in the USA” made me listen and take notice. This song was my favorite from that LP and my favorite of his all together. That middle verse still just haunts me.

#38 The Love You Save – The Jackson 5

I’ve talked before about my strange obsession with Motown. Strange - because I’m a 46 year old, white Jew. Still, it pretty much began with the Temptations. But very soon after I fell in love with the Jackson 5. It’s really just my memories of those innocent times that I mourned Michael Jackson’s death.

#37 She's Leaving Home – The Beatles

And speaking of The Beatles, the funny thing is that this song does not tae me back to the last 60’s. In fact, it isn’t even the Fab Four who turned me on to this. As I was preparing to move away from home (although I lived with my sister for a year then, it was still close to being home) and heading out to a yeshiva away from them, I listened to this song off of the movie soundtrack of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” I was a big Bee Gees fan at the time and while the movie was horrible, this rendition was beautiful and very apropos.

#36 God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

This is my absolute favorite Beach boys’ song. It’s so innocent, simple and beautiful. Plus, it played in the closing credits of my absolute favorite romantic comedy, “Love Actually.” It was perfectly placed.

#35 I've Loved These Days – Billy Joel

Although I had been a fan of his since the first time I listened to “The Stranger,” it wasn’t until 10 years later that I took a real interest in Billy Joel’s earlier, lesser-known work. But during 1987, it seemed that was all I was listening to. This is my favorite.

#34 The Night They Drove 'Ol Dixie Down – The Band

For years, I loved the Joan Baez version of this song. But it always bothered me that it was sung by a woman (the story is told from a man’s perspective). When I finally heard Robbie Robertson’s original, I was mesmerized. Like “Rose Of Cimarron” (#55), it’s a Civil War era story and it really makes you feel like you were there.

#33 Angie - The Rolling Stones

I remember when I was a kid and people used to argue “Beatles, or Rolling Stones?” I was always in the Beatles’ camp, but there were some Stones’ tunes I liked a lot. But “Angie” has special meaning to me, as it was the song on the radio when I slow danced with a girl for the first time. Yeah, I still remember you, Pam – even if it was only a “mercy” dance.

#32 Hey Jude - The Beatles

“Hey Jude” has always been my second favorite Beatles’ song (for #1, wait just a couple of weeks). My memory of it, however, is from the video “The Complete Beatles.” If you haven’t seen, you’ve missed out (I have never found it on DVD, but that may have changed). It’s a powerful video and an epic song.

#31 Reaching Out – The Bee Gees

Well, I’ve admitted I was a fan of the Bee Gees and even though I liked them before they sold out and went disco, I actually did like them then, as well. 30 years have made this song more cringe-worthy, due to Barry Gibb’s falsetto. But the song is very moving regardless and it brings me back to 1979 with all its force.

Found this at Doug Ross...

Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives
If a Conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a Liberal doesn't like guns, they believe no one should have one.

If a Conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a Liberal is, they want to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a Conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. A Liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a Conservative is homosexual, he quietly enjoys life. If a Liberal is homosexual, they loudly demand legislated respect.

If a Conservative is a minority , he sees himself as independently successful. Their Liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a Conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A Liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a Conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a Conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A Liberal wants all churches to be silenced.

If a Conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A Liberal demands that his neighbors pay for his.

If a Conservative disagrees with a Liberal president, he is called a racist. When a Liberal disagrees with a Conservative president, it's patriotic dissent.

If a Conservative expresses his political view, he is called an idiot. A Liberal expressing his political views is expressing his right to Freedom of Speech.

“I never use the words Democrats and Republicans. It’s Liberals and Americans.
- James Watt, Ronald Reagan’s Interior Secretary

It's The Image, Stupid
Part II

Why are so many of us more concerned with how we are perceived, rather than who we really are? In part one, I told the story of a Rabbi who - because he was clearly still living in the past, remembering his glory years - refused to allow any perception that he was not still on top of his game. For this man - and his wife and followers - they could not bear the idea that perhaps time had passed them by.

But what of the rest of us? Why are we so afraid of the truth? After all, how many of us have experienced the bitter pain of being "exposed?" I would imagine we all have at one time.

Is the perception (rather than the reality) that much more pleasant? What does this say about us?

The problem with perception is that it often lies. While it may feel good to hide behind mask, all it really does is fool the public. Of course eventually, events happen that expose the truth anyway. What you're left with is not only the truth, but the embarrassment of having been exposed as a fraud in the first place. Regardless of the reason, the truth is far less painful than the cost of hiding it.

It has become very obvious that in the political arena, perception is a fickle thing. Having the perception of doing good can carry someone through an election. But if there is nothing behind the perception, eventually the fraud will be exposed. By the same token, "doing something" is a wonderful idea. You hear it all the time - "we've got to do something about (health care, immigration, taxes, Islamic supremacists...)." But often times, either nothing gets done, or something is done just to change the perception.

We can spend millions, perhaps billions of dollars creating a perception of "doing something," but in reality all we've done is waste valuable time and money.

In the Obama government, perception has taken a priority over truth. That is why Obama decided not to be visited by the Dalai Lama during his trip to America. While the previous three Presidents all met with his holiness whenever he came to America, Obama refused to accommodate him until after the President meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing in November.

Another example was this week's photo op on the White House lawn with 150 doctors. The event was created for the simple reason that Obama wanted a show of unity for his health care goals. However, aside from the fact that each doctor was asked to come in his lab coat (where the doctor forgot his/her coat, the White House jumped in and gave them one - gee, I wonder who paid for that?). But even this simple propaganda ploy seems to have backfired, as it was soon learned that these doctors were handpicked because of their financial support of the Democratic Party.

While I have no qualms about Obama meeting with his financial supporters, I have a huge problem with making it out to appear (purposely, mind you) to b a "bi-partisan" event.

It's all in the perception.

And lastly, why do you suppose the White House is attacking Glenn Beck so feverishly? And before Beck, it was Rush Limbaugh. I don't recall George Bush going after Keith Olbermann, do you? What I do recall was the outrage over Richard Nixon's "enemies list." That was deserving of our fury because the President has to rise above the pettiness of his critics. While liberals were out there calling Bush "Hitler" and producing movies about his assassination, not once did his administration go after any liberal media outlet.

This past weekend, Saturday Night Live featured an opening skit which was highly critical of the President. Like most SNL political skits, it was over the top, stereotypical and based on truth. Of course, being that it is a comedy sketch, not everything is completely factual. Like Tina Fey's Sarah Palin, who said she "saw Russia from her house (the actual comment Palin made was that Russia is right next to Alaska, but SNL created the illusion that Palin was an idiot), Fred Armisen's Barack Obama was simply a caricature of the President. Yet for some reason, CNN decided that the skit needed to be "fact checked."

Why? What reason could CNN possibly have to spend time and effort fact checking SNL? The only two reasons I can come up with are either because CNN is completely in the tank for Obama, which is very possible; or because CNN did what CNN has been known to do in the past - and that is that they fear losing their "insider" status with the White House. So therefore, when David Axelrod, or Ramn Emanuel says jump - they jump. Keep in mind, CNN is the very same network that covered up Saddam Hussein's abuses in order to continue having access in Iraq.

Why is it so important for Obama and his people to keep his perception positive? It's because - like in the Wizard of Oz - perception is all he has. When you pull back the curtain, there is nothing there. In the liberal worldview, actions do not speak louder than words. Sure Obama has grand plans and lofty rhetoric. But the SNL skit cut him down to size. It showed the man behind the mask.

Unfortunately for America (and quite possibly the free world), we live in a very real and dangerous time. Lofty rhetoric does not work against the enemies of decency and freedom. Grand plans may sound great, but they really are only words. "Do something" is meaningless unless the thing you're doing has real value.

I'm reminded by someone I once had the honor of working with a number of years ago. He was an executive at the State of Israel Bonds for many years, and by the time I got to work with him, he was very close (certainly past due) for retirement. The day I met him, I asked him what his position entailed. He smiled and said it was a very complicated position. But then he added, at least that's what the job description says. So naturally, I was curious and asked him what exactly he does all day.

He turned to me and said, "it's my job to move this pile of papers from this side of the desk to the other and then back again."

Stunned, I asked him what that was all about and he said, "I have a staff of 10 people who know what they are doing. So as long as I appear to be working, they pay my check."

When you and I are paying for this waste, it becomes our business. In this day and age, we can not afford perceptions. Not when our economy is in the toilet and our enemies are developing nuclear bombs.

It's The Image, Stupid
Part I

I used to work at a conservative synagogue in Miami Beach, who's Rabbi was very old. He was certainly no younger than 80 when I worked their in the early 1990's. When he arrived at the synagogue - many years earlier - he set out to build the largest Jewish organization, and at one time it appeared he succeeded. By the late 1960's, his temple boasted around 2,000 members. At the time, it was the largest membership of any synagogue in America.

But by 1980, the demographics of the neighborhood began to drastically change. Within 5 years, South Beach was no longer a thriving area - in fact, following the Mariel boatlift, Miami Beach's Jewish presence fell from nearly 76% to under 50%. While many who stayed were elderly, this caused a great decline in membership in this once-proud synagogue.

I arrived there in 1992 with a mandate to create programming that would attract a newer (read: younger) generation. By this time, the South Beach area enjoyed a complete renaissance, thanks to the influx of a substantial number of homosexuals who re-ignited the area.

Unfortunately, most Gay Jews do not align themselves with the conservative movement (we're talking "conservative" Judaism, and not politically "conservative"). So the task was very difficult. To make matters not only worse, but eventually causing me to fail in my goals, was the old Rabbi and his wife.

This Rabbi built the shul (Hebrew, for synagogue) and it was his ambition and commitment that made it great. However, as it often happens, time plays a cruel trick and as the community migrated away, he failed to recognize the change in the wind. Like an obsessive gambler, he kept trying to do the same thing over and over again, hoping he could return to glory like he did once before.

He couldn't. By 1992, the member ship in the synagogue fell to just over 200 people. And from every census, we knew it was likely that as the older members died out (this IS Florida, after all), there was no one to replace them with.

But the Rabbi would not see the reality. Furthermore, the President of the shul - a man hand picked by the Rabbi (as was the entire Board of Directors) - were simply unwilling to contridict the Rabbi. The staff was well aware of what was happening, but we were warned that we could not question the wisdom of the Rabbi. In many cases, he was their parent's Rabbi, and in a couple of cases he actually circumcised them! Certainly, he officiated at their weddings, other simchas (Hebrew, for celebratory occasion) and everything else. In many ways, he was their father, leader and only connection to Judaism for over 60 years.

But even though I had known him for a number of years, and my father was his colleague for a few years when he was a Rabbi in North Miami Beach (before I was born), I was still unable to have any success in doing my job.

This all came to a head during the High Holidays that year. In the past, the Temple rented out the Miami Beach Convention Center for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. With 2,000 members, it was clearly a necessity, as the Temple often brought in a crowd close to 5,000. But as the numbers dwindled, the Rabbi was finally convinced to move the services to the Jackie Gleason Center for Performing Arts, which is right next door to the convention center. It is considerable smaller, but because at the time it was brand new, the Rabbi gave his blessing.

In 1992, we expected about 1,600 people, which was still a very nice number. But a large number of these people were retirees who belonged to no synagogue. Also, we gave out over 350 free seats, as well as 200 seats that were reserved for families that attended the conservative day school that was affiliated with the synagogue (up in Surfside).

Of course, when all was said and done, the press release talked about how 5,000 people attended and that the shul was thriving. You see, it made no difference what actually was going on. It was only what the perception was that mattered.

In the weeks leading up to the High Holidays, the staff was called into meeting after meeting after meeting to discuss each and every aspect of the services. Even the Aliyahs (being called up to the Torah) was choreographed to the finite step. Every single aspect of the the three days were expected to go without so much as a hiccup. Because this was not an orthodox synagogue, there was music (both choral and with instrumentation), lighting and sound.

For example, when the assistant Rabbi was on stage, the lighting needed to be softer, with a bluish tint. Furthermore, his microphone was to be turned off whenever the head Rabbi was on stage. Because of my own religious observance, I could only direct the production, but not do any of the actual work (yeah, corners were cut religiously, I know.

There were some issues that were unexpected. For instance, when the head Rabbi finished the Musaf service (the third of 5 Yom Kippur services), he discovered that his orange juice wasn't chilled. Even though that was delegated to someone else, being in charge meant I got the tongue lashing from the rebbitzen (Rabbi's wife). But all in all, the production was a success.

And that is exactly what it was - a production.

The High Holidays are a very intense time in the Jewish religion. But at no time during this experience did I feel any connection to Judaism or to G-d. It was completely hollow and meaningless because all it really was was a Hollywood-style production. The audience may have felt they were absolved of their sins for attending, but there was no interaction. No one in the audience stood up and prayed, and in fact, following Kol Nidre, a number of people applauded!

It was all about the show.

Why I am bringing this up is something you will have to tune into tomorrow for...

Yeah, it's clearly a "right-wing conspiracy"...



Courtesy of Flopping Aces

Dallas Cowboys
Heroes & Zeroes
Week Four

Denver Broncos 17 Dallas Cowboys 10

What a horrible game. After hearing the score (as soon as the holiday ended), I almost considered not bothering to watch the replay. But I suffered through it just so I could report back to you.

Aren't I special?

After watching this debacle disguised as an NFL game, I'm left with a few thoughts, and most are not pleasant. For one thing, as I watched what perhaps was his worst performance of his career, Tony Romo looked pedestrian at best. It seemed to me that he lost his confidence and he never took the chances in this game that made him so exceptional. My theory is that after being roasted in the press over the past few weeks, he decided to stop taking chances. If this is the case (and it continues), then the season is over.

It also seems (and has for almost three years now), that this team really does have the personality of its head coach. Neither seems to have any fire, nor do either have enough talent to win just by showing up - as it seemed they tried to do today.

HEROES

Marion Barber, Running Back -- On a day where there were very few positives on the offensive side of the line, Barber stood out. He scored the teams only touchdown and averaged over 4 yards a carry. Unfortunately, since he was still nursing a sore groin, he was limited to only 3 plays in the second half. Tashard Choice did a decent job in his place (Felix Jones missed the game due to yet another injury). But once Barber left the game, the offense fell apart. It was no coincidence.

Keith Brooking, Linebacker -- Brooking, the former All-Pro who came over from Atlanta in the off-season, mas all over the place today. He was credited with 9 tackles, but made a number of plays in addition. He was a big reason the defense held Denver just 10 offensive points (well, 10, if you consider that the Broncos only needed 9 yards for their first TD).

Nick Folk, Kicker -- Folk only had one opportunity today, but he once again proved to be money in the bank by making a 49-yard kick in the less-than-perfect thin air of Invesco field.

ZEROES

Tony Romo, Quarterback -- I believe this was the worst game of Romo's career. He constantly missed open receivers and it seemed his usual ability to escape from trouble was missing. If Romo was trying to calm his critics - by not taking any chances - then he should be benched for a week or two until he recognizes what's wrong with his game. But if he simply had a bad game, then hey, it happens. Regardless, he was awful today.

Jay Ratliff, Nose Guard -- This one is a surprise. Ratliff has played exceptionally well so far this season. But his personal foul penalty (helmet-to-helmet hit on Kyle Orton) may have cost them the game. Instead of forcing a 4th and very long, it gave Denver new life on their way to the winning score.

Wade Phillips, Head Coach -- This team is clearly reflecting the personality of their coach. That is not a good thing. The first problem today was the way Wade (or Jason Garrett, who was under instruction from Phillips) simply sat out the last 2 minutes of the first half. The Cowboys had the ball with 2 minutes left and began to move the ball. But then...stopped. In addition, his sitting Barber, who was seen begging to re-enter the game, was ridiculous. The Cowboys look lost, confused and out of sync. That is the mark of poor coaching. They clearly were not prepared to play today.

The good news is that this was a road loss against a non-conference foe. It's still early in the season and they should handily defeat the Chiefs next week (like everyone else). The bad news is that - as Bill Parcells loves to say - you are what your record says you are. The Cowboys, right now, are mediocre at 2-2. How they respond will not really be known for three weeks (after Kansas City, they play Atlanta). They have the personnel to be great. But until they begin to take these games seriously, they will remain average at best.

Here is my pick for next week:

Dallas..............................34
Kansas City......................13

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Shayneblog All-Time Top 100

#41-#50

Over the years, many of my friends and I have talked about the best songs ever written, or what our favorites were. I think, over the course of this past year, I have shared many of my favorites, as well as yours on this blog.

Now that this is the one-year anniversary of my “Ten Great Songs From One Great Year” list, I decided to open my memories a bit more and allow you to see exactly what the soundtrack of my life sounds like.

Over these ten weeks, I will countdown my top 100 favorite songs – some hits, some misses – ten each week, until we reach number one. I’m sure some songs will surprise you that they ranked so low, high or even made the list at all didn’t). I can promise you that I paid no attention whatsoever to the songs charting success. These are simply my all-time favorite songs.

This is the sixth week.

#100-#91

#90-#81

#80-#71

#70-#61

#60-#51

#50 Day After Day – Badfinger

It is simply marvelous how a memory can weave a tapestry of a single moment in time and capture life like a snapshot. Like “Beginnings” by Chicago (#86), this song just fires a picture in my brain of a moment, 40 long years ago. There was nothing special about that trip through Birmingham (that I can recall). Just that it happened and I remember it.

#49 Another Try – America

I could have simply listed 100 America songs and served my same purpose. No one group best captures the soundtrack of my life the way this band has. “Holiday” was the first America LP I ever purchased and this song, taken from it, was my first favorite of theirs. The video is not the best quality, but there was no way I was not listing this song. Furthermore, “Another Try” is the best example of George Martin’s influence on the band, as he produced 7 of their LP’s during their heyday.

#48 Even Now – Barry Manilow

It took many years to truly stop thinking about her – even though I knew her memory was brighter than our relationship ever was. It’s never easy when you aren’t loved back.

#47 Mainstreet – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

The screaming guitar, the smoky pool halls and the hot, sweaty nights on the streets seemed so real when Seger sang this song. I loved downtown and Main Street (the place) growing up. This made it seemed so seedy, yet so enchanting at the same time.

#46 The Reach - Dan Fogelberg

Some people truly miss John Lennon and others miss Kurt Cobain. I miss Dan Fogelberg. Nothing I ever heard was as beautiful as when he sang this song in concert, at a wooded forest park in Hope, New Jersey, in the Spring of ’88. This song is a perfect example of lyric fitting seamlessly with music.

#45 Pretty Maids All in a Row – The Eagles

If you’ve been following this list, you will notice that one constant theme is music from the album “Hotel California.” To be, no single LP ever produced more pure magic and joy in my life than that one did. Even today, I can listen to each one of its songs and feel like I’m hearing it for the very first time.

#44 Heart of Gold – Neil Young

Even before I knew who America was (and the comparisons made between Neil Young and Dewey Bunnell), I loved this song. Listening to it harkens me back to my first trip (that I remembered) with my folks through the Virginia Mountains, on the way to New York. It was before all the Interstates were open and I truly believe was the trip that formed my life-long love affair with long-distance driving.

#43 The Only Living Boy in New York - Simon and Garfunkel

“Bridge Over Troubled Waters” was always a favorite album of mine. But it really wasn’t until I saw the movie “Garden State” that I really listened to this song. Beautifully sad, poignantly ageless and heartfelt, Paul Simon’s masterpiece stands the test of time.

#42 Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

I’ve always loved the Motown sound and this song was one of the main reasons why. I guess I just felt a strong kinship with the plight of the Southern blacks, as well as a regressed memory of the Civil War (and not from the winning side). Am I crazy? Maybe. But that’s just me.

#41 Laura – Billy Joel

Laying in traction at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, in New York, I had my Walkman and Billy Joel’s “Nylon Curtain.” Whether or not the muscle relaxers and pain killers enhanced the music or not, this song was so raw and so powerful that it wouldn’t have mattered.

Clearly, the author is not a liberal, as he claims. In fact, he doesn't really exist, yet this article from the National Review is still a great piece of work:

The Metamorphosis
In which our liberal author awakens one morning from uneasy dreams . . .

By David Kahane

I have a nightmare.

I have a nightmare that sometime before the 2010 elections, the scales will fall from your eyes and you will see us as we really are.

I have a nightmare that you will read C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters and realize that it is not fiction.

I have a nightmare that you will read Plunkitt of Tammany Hall and get firsthand instruction in how we steal elections.

I have a nightmare that you will read Machiavelli’s The Prince and realize that we got there way ahead of you.

I have a nightmare that you will read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and recognize us in the figure of Ellsworth Toohey — the “friend” who is in fact your mortal enemy.

I have a nightmare that you will read Dickens’s Bleak House and see us in the character of Mrs. Jellyby, the “telescopic philanthropist,” who lets her own family go to hell while she frets over the fate of an African tribe.

I have a nightmare that you will re-watch Saving Private Ryan and realize that Corporal Upham, the liberal stickler for process played by Jeremy Davies, saves the German prisoner’s life only to get most of his platoon killed, including Tom Hanks. And then commits the very war crime he tried to stop.

I have a nightmare that while you’re enjoying the scatological dialogue and ultra-violence of Pulp Fiction, you’ll realize that Vincent Vega, the unbeliever, dies unredeemed in Butch Coolidge’s bathroom, while Jules, who accepts the reality of miracles, grants absolution to Pumpkin and Honey Bunny and is thus saved.

I have a nightmare that you will go back and watch any B-movie made between 1933 and 1963, like Gun Crazy, and see an America that was not afraid of inanimate objects like firearms, and instead blamed the man for the crime.

I have a nightmare that some of you are old enough to recall a time when the law was an honorable profession, the Constitution was not so deconstructed that, essentially, all that is left of it is the Commerce Clause, and your doctor charged a fee for service and made house calls.

I have a nightmare that when you think of the late Ted Kennedy, resting peacefully at Arlington Cemetery, all you will be able to see is Mary Jo Kopechne, gasping for air in the Oldsmobile while the senator returned to his hotel room and went to sleep.

I have a nightmare that you will remember that Sirhan Sirhan was a Palestinian who hated Bobby Kennedy because of his support of Israel.

I have a nightmare that you’ll realize that, far from being a right-wing nut, Lee Harvey Oswald was a self-proclaimed Marxist who defected to the Soviet Union, came home with a Russian wife, agitated on behalf of Castro’s Cuba, tried to re-defect to Russia, returned to Dallas, brought his rifle to work, and killed JFK with a classic marksman’s shot group: miss, hit, kill.

I have a nightmare that you’ll remember that, in the week leading up to the murders of George Moscone and Harvey Milk, there was no right-wing “climate of hate” in San Francisco as Nancy Pelosi, aka Maerose Prizzi, would have you believe. Instead, the city was riveted by the murders of Congressman Leo Ryan and journalists Don Harris, Bob Brown, and Greg Robinson at the Port Kaituma airstrip on Nov. 18, 1978. This was followed by the “revolutionary suicides” of hundreds of Jim Jones’s radical-leftist Peoples Temple followers, most of them African American. One of the suicide notes read, “I, Marceline Jones, leave all bank accounts in my name to the Communist Party of the USSR.”

I have a nightmare that people will eventually realize that Dan White, who shot Moscone and Milk not over gay rights but over Moscone’s refusal to give him back his seat on the Board of Supervisors, was a Democrat.

I have a nightmare that one day Dianne Feinstein, a good and decent woman who not only was there but owes her entire national political career to the tragic events of Nov. 27, 1978, will straighten out Maerose Prizzi, as well as the rest of the country.

I have a nightmare that eventually you will recall that, just a few years after the events depicted in Milk, the newly liberated gay community in San Francisco was decimated by AIDS.

I have a nightmare that one day you will recognize the destructive philosophic effect on the American way of life of the “Institute for Social Research,” aka the Frankfurt School of radical neo-Marxists — Adorno, Horkheimer, Fromm, Habermas, Marcuse et al. — who, fleeing Hitler, arrived in America in 1934 and promptly affiliated with Columbia University, where they injected their notions of “critical theory” and “scientific Marxism” into the body of American academe.

I have a nightmare that one day, perhaps during another Great Awakening, the Supreme Court will overturn Murray v. Curlett, which outlawed school prayer in a lawsuit brought by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the founder of American Atheists. In 1995, O’Hair was murdered along with her son and granddaughter by another American atheist, who chain-sawed their bodies into bits.

I have a nightmare that one day the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, thus returning abortion to the states — although, alas, we will never get those 40 million dead souls to pay into the Social Security system.

I have a nightmare that I will still be alive when the Mother of All Ponzi Schemes finally beggars the nation, and the heroic, eco-friendly childless couples starve to death as they realize they forgot to manufacture their old-age meal tickets.

I have a nightmare that you will finally understand what the Manchurian Candidate, “mmm mmm mmm / Barack Hussein Obama,” meant by “fundamental change.”

I have a nightmare that one day Bill O’Reilly will wake up and realize that he’s letting a valuable television franchise descend into idiotic “culture warrior” and “body language” segments, and that he needs to stop hawking his books and Factor gear and remember to dance with what brung him — before the audience abandons him in favor of Glenn Beck.

I have a nightmare that we liberals won’t be able to stop Andrew Breitbart or any of the other maquis now shooting at us from every tree and from behind every rock, turning our own tactics against us, mocking us and rendering us frustrated and impotent.

I have a nightmare that W. will go on national television, rue his not naming a viable successor, castigate McCain for his disgraceful accommodationist campaign, and apologize for not fully executing the Bush Doctrine when he had the chance.

I have a nightmare that, one day soon, the New York Times will collapse into irrelevance, along with Time, Newsweek, and The New Yorker, and no one will be there to set the TV networks’ agendas, forcing you to once more think for yourself.

I have a nightmare that you will pick up a copy of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and actually read it, boring and poorly written as it is.

I have a nightmare that you will organize and rally to take back your country from the frauds, poseurs, hollow men, gangsters, communists, atheists, perverts, Daley Machine hacks, ballerinas, and Jake Lingles who have parlayed a desire for Change, a touching but absurd reliance on Hope, and a huge dollop of racial guilt into something this country has never seen before.

I have a nightmare that you will come to understand the truth of Goya’s axiom that “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.”

I have a nightmare that Sarah Palin will get the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

I have a nightmare that she will win, scattering us like so many scuttling Gregor Samsas.

I have nightmare that . . .

Nah. Never happen. You’re too stupid.

— Like Jack Valenti during the reign of LBJ, David Kahane sleeps each night a little better, a little more confidently because His Serene Highness, Barack Hussein Obama, is his president. Don’t even think about disagreeing with him, or with any of the sentiments expressed above, at kahanenro@gmail.com, or by becoming his friend on Facebook, or by reading his Rules for Radical Conservatives, out from Ballantine Books next summer.

Hat tip: Pilgrim

Official Chicago 2016 Olympics Logo

















16-year-old boy beaten to death in Roseland

Ho-hum. Just another day in Chicago.

More from Doug Ross, a Chicago native:

Honors Student Derrion Albert's murder, one of hundreds of killings in the city annually, should serve as the flagship video for Chicago's attempt at securing the Olympics.

After all, decades of unbroken Democrat rule have successfully built a culture of urban dependency predicated upon easy access to welfare, food stamps and other "free" social programs. These, in turn, have led to a dramatic increase in single-parent families and a concomitant rise in violent crime.

In The Atlantic Monthly, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead wrote that the relationship between single-parent families and crime "is so strong that controlling for family configuration erases the relationship between race and crime and between low income and crime... The nation's mayors, as well as police officers, social workers, probation officers, and court officials [all] point to family break up as the most important source of rising rates of crime."

Let me repeat that. Control for single-parent families and there are no differences between the races when it comes to crime.

Study after study confirms that the statistical link between the availability of welfare and single-parent families is conclusive. There have been dozens of studies that link the availability of welfare benefits to out-of-wedlock birth. One study found that a 50 percent increase in the value of AFDC and foodstamp payments led to a 43 percent increase in the number of out-of-wedlock births.

Research for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed that a 50 percent increase in the monthly value of combined AFDC and food stamp benefits led to a 117 percent increase in the crime rate among young black men.

Yet the Democrats, the Daley Machine, Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and their ilk at ACORN and the SEIU continue to advocate for more welfare, more wealth redistribution and, ultimately, more of the same malaise.

In spite of all the studies, all of the research, all of their failed social experiments, Democrats continue to promote policies that are destructive for thousands of young people like Derrion Albert.

One hopes that the International Olympic Committee takes note. And that, someday, Chicago's voters turn these bums out.

Just as a reminder, in case you spent the last year only watching MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS:

Let me put it in pictures for our progressive friends

Chicago deserves the Olympics like Beirut deserves the Olympics. As a citizen of this city, I shudder when I consider how much money Mayor Daley has already wasted in courting this hugely degenerate organization. While the south side burns, while 364 kids have been murdered and while sales tax is already 10.5% (along with the highest gasoline tax in the country, not to mention one of the highest property rates, as well), Daley - and the rest of this corrupt, incestuous and criminal Democratic "machine" is far too busy deflecting attention to something as asinine as the Olympics.

And yet, Chicagoans continue to vote for this disgrace. I guess it really is true what they say - as long as you plow the streets, you'll win elections. These town-folks in the windy city are hopeless. But that's what happens when you become a welfare-reliant city.