News & Notes

1. Sometimes, when I get writer's block, I find the most affective remedy is to first, take some time off from writing. Second - if the first remedy didn't work - is to just jot down different things that are on my mind and post them as a "News & Notes." Let's hope this helps.

2. Yes, I listened to the State of the Union address, and I have to say it is very difficult for me to be objective. But I will try. The problem is two-fold. Number one - the way Obama speaks just doesn't sound comfortable to me. I feel as if he is trying to speak above the less mortals below him and his kind of vocal inflection just tunes me out.

Number two - the President speaks as if he has a chip on his shoulder. He was at times condescending, and at other times, berating. When he spoke about his contempt for the Supreme Court's decision, I wasn't offended by Justice Scalia's quite rebuke. Had Obama been honest when he made his remarks, then perhaps I would have disagreed with Scalia's antics. But truthfully, I do not believe for one moment that Scalia planned his thing from the beginning.

Personally, had I been rebuked by an elected official (assuming I'm a Supreme Court justice), I would have considered walking out of the speech - especially when it seemed so many of Obama's neophytes were standing and cheering at my rebuke. If anyone acted childish in this instance, it was the President. As a Harvard-taught constitutional professor, you would think he would know that what he complained about had nothing to do with the Court's findings.

3. Obama Bows Again -- This time, the chief representative of our nation, our leader and President did not bow down to a despotic world leader, as he has before. No, this time, Mr. Obama deemed to show weakness (kind of like when a dog gets rebuked, he bows to his master) to the Mayor of Tampa.

Tampa???

Isn't there someone, anyone in his administration who can tell him that he looks like a fool?

4. Ahmahomo: "Iran Will Deliver Telling Blow to Global Powers on Feb. 11"...

Gauging the fallout from the riots a couple of months ago, as well as the leaked reports that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have lost over 30% of their men because they refuse to fight their own people, I'd say that unless Ahmadinejad is planning to blow himself up, this could be a snooze-fest.

For one thing, they have not yet developed nuclear warheads, nor are they capable of deploying much of what they do have. The thought, amongst Israel, is that he will send Hamas and Hezbollah over the borders to force Israel into action. I don't believe Hamas wants to fight again so soon and the reality in Israel is now that Olmert and Livni are out of power, dealing with Netanyahu could be suicidal.

But again, my strong feeling is that whatever the Ayatollahs try to do, they will have to defend a full scale revolution on the streets of Iran. The bigger question is whether or not our Bower-in-Chief will once again refuse to get involved - which did nothing since the Iranians still balme America for their troubles. Obama, should he show some backbone (which hasn't proven he has - except when he called the DC cop "stupid").the U.S. could instigate a regime change there. Hopefully, that will happen prior to Ahmahomo getting his hands on nukes.

5. Can we finally stop talking about Global Warming now? Between the East Anglian e-mals, the reports that show that the IPCC removed 100's of data sites that were in higher elevations (thus skewing the numbers much warmer on average), the U.N. admitting that the glacier meltdown (originally planned for 2030) was nothing more than a dissertation based on no factual evidence whatsoever, AND the fact that the global temperatures have fallen from 1998 (Australian scientist are now predicting a 30-year cooling trend, which they base on sun-spots. This has been confirmed also by NASA as a likely option.

So please, if you want to take about the environment, well fine. We should all strive for a cleaner planet and allow Capitalism to create the funds to live cleaner and healthier. But Al Gore is nothing but a very wealthy con-artist. I'm sure at one point, he actually believed that AGW was real. But now, he is either a complete pathological liar, or way too invested in his life to even consider that he might be wrong. I think what will happen is there will continue to be lawsuits over the huge amount of money wasted on this junk science and eventually, it will catch up to Gore.

6. So my Dallas Cowboys came close. But I found it amazing watching Brett Favre out there last week, and coming within one interception from going to another Super Bowl. A few days ago, NFL Network rebroadcasted the 1993 NFC Divisional Playoff game between Dallas and Green Bay. Both Favre and Troy Aikman were at, or near the top of their game. Now, 17 years later, Aikman - who covered the game for FOX Sports - was in the announcer's booth, where he has been for the past 9 years. And Favre is still playing meaningful games.

I remember back in the early 70's, I went to a Cowboys game and George Blanda was the kicker for the other team (I want to say it was the Houston Oilers). At the time, Blanda was in his mid-to late 40s (I think he retired at 47). But he hadn't played quarterback in years, and was only in on kicking plays. What Farve has been able to do at his age is nothing short of amazing. And to top it off, he's considering returning to Minnesota again next season.

As far as the Super Bowl is concerned, since I did pick New Orleans and Indianapolis to advance (and I was close on the scores, as well), I feel pretty certain that I can pick the winner of the big game also. And it isn't an easy feat. I think Peyton Manning is capable of beating any team in the league. But Indy just learned that their top pass rusher, Dwight Freeney, has been diagnosed with a ligament tear and is listed only as questionable for the game. That is a huge blow to the Colts, who will need something to slow down Drew Brees and the Saint offence.

History tells us that the team that's been there before should win the game, based on experience. However, the Giants defeated the 3 time champ New England Patriots and only a miracle catch by Santonio Holmes kept the Arizona Cardinals from winning. And aside from Peyton Manning and a few others, how many Colts were around when they won Super Bowl 41, three years ago? When you look at the Colts, they also rely on a number of young, fresh talent - especially at Wide Receiver.

New Orleans has a tremendous offense, but a suspect defense. Favre and the Vikings ripped through them like paper. But they also are a very opportunistic bunch and get a lot of turnovers. Manning threw the most interceptions this year since his second season. With inexperienced receivers, he is susceptible to turning the ball over.

But the Colts have a far superior rushing attack and a better defense. So to me, the game really will be decided on turnovers. As much as I am rooting for New Orleans to win their first ever title, I just don't see how they will be able to match up against the Colts running game AND Peyton Manning.

So my prediction for the game is:

Indianapolis Colts...............41
New Orleans Saints.............31

7. Chris Matthews said "for an hour, I didn't even notice Obama was black."

Matthews has long become the laughingstock of newstalk. Considering he shares a studio with Keith Olbermann, that says a lot. But Matthews comments underscore a very valid issue. Republicans never bring up anything about "race." Oh sure, we are all called racists by the left. But when was the last time you heard a conservative caring what color a person is? Nowadays, it's chic to put words in conservatives lips. For instance, when Maureen Dowd criticized Joe Wilson for telling Obama "You lie!" Dowd not only heard Wilson say those two words, but she added that to her, she also heard the word "boy" afterwards - making it into a racial utterance.

No intelligent being who heard what Wilson said, thought that Wilson was putting him down because of his color. But again, a liberal brings up some fantasy she believes must be true and verbally assassinates his character over it. Sort of like when Dan Rather admitted that even if the National Guard story was false, it must be true because he says so.

It's a double standard that has affect liberals for years, but has come to a head with the election of Obama. Unfortunately, instead of being the "post-racial" President the country thought they elected, he has been the far most partisan President in my lifetime. Although Matthews considers the word "arrogant" to be a code word for "uppity" (and we all know what uppity means), my problem with Obama's arrogance has nothing whatsoever to do with color of the man's skin.

Personally, I'm thrilled that we finally elected someone who isn't Caucasian. It shows just how far we've come from slavery and the civil rights's era. Just not THAT person of color. I can not say this with any more conviction, if Obama were white, I would dislike him just as much. And I'm sick and tired of being called a "teabagging, racist, homophobic extremist" because I don't agree with the agenda of the Democratic Party.

From Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals (the Obama Workbook):

Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

Rule 11: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.

After a year in office, Obama has accomplished way too little for the betterment of our country, and way too much for the betterment of his political cronies. Throw in how much money Nancy Pelosi wasted flying her children and grandchildren - often without a delegation on board - on private Air Force jets, add to the constant bowing Obama has down to some of the worst despots on earth, consider how he blames Bush for everything, even though he has not only continued many of the former President's policies, but wildly surpassed Bush's spending, consider the foolhardy trip to Copenhagen - along with Pelosi's delegation af 101 Americans who stayed in first class accommodations on the taxpayer's dime, consider the fact that while Iran was crumbling, he spent more time playing golf than his predecessor did in 8 years (but of course, Bush was blamed for working from his ranch in Texas when the Mayor of New Orleans, as well as the governor, completely whiffed on their responsibilities after Hurricane Katrina.

And consider the fact that even when speaking to kindergartners, the President must use a teleprompter. Consider the fact that over 60% of Americans polled do not want the universal health care the House and Senate are trying to shove down our throats. Consider that just today, Obama was forced to admit that his promises regarding health care (that you can keep you original policy) was nothing more than a lie. Consider his admonition against lobbyist, when he has broken his pledge countless times in iring these lobbyists to fill his cabinet.

Consider the fact that he now rails against the Supreme Court (wrongly, I may add) for decreeing that McCain-Feingold is unconstitutional, In his blistering condemnation, he complained that it will now allow foreign governments the ability to influence our elections. Well, for one thing, it doesn't. And for another, Obama himself bypassed the law he now is upset at losing. He received more money from foreign contributions than any Presidential candidate in history.

Consider Obama's warning that if we didn't immediately pass his $787,000,000,000 stimulus bill immediately, we risk unemployment above 10%. We passed it and yet, unemployment today is almost 11%.

Is there any wonder why Massachusetts elected their first Republican Senator in a generation? Of course, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs explained that Brown victory was a victory for ObamaCare, even though Brown ran on the promise of being the vote needed to block it's passage. The question is, do any of the Obama people know how to tell the truth? Or are they simply following their leader?

8. I'll leave you with this comic, courtesy of Hope And Change: