After watching the NFL games over the past two days, I have come to a few obvious conclusions. One, that there is no better team right now than the New England Patriots.
Two, Indianapolis vs. New England is this decade's version of the 1990's Dallas vs. San Francisco.
Three, Brett Favre throwing well at 37 is no more amazing (maybe even less so) that Roger Staubach doing the same at 38.
Four, St. Louis will not finish 0-16, but Miami very well could.
Five, Don't overlook the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I could spend a few minutes blasting Bill Belichick for what many are calling a "classless" move on his part to still be throwing long with his team leading 38-0 late in the game. I guess he's no different from Buddy Ryan when Ryan did it against Tom Landry's woeful Cowboys back in '87 and '88. But in truth, this is professional football we're talking about. As long as the Redskins are trying to win, the Patriots have every right to beat them.
On the other hand, what surprises me is how careless Belichick is in regard to his starters. If I were the coach, and my team was up by 38 after three quarters (especially if my defense was shutting the other team down), I would bench my QB's rear end and give his backup some reps. For one thing, when a defense sees the start QB continue to light them up, it makes them start aiming to hurt the QB. Secondly, should your star QB get hurt, it helps to give his backup some real-time experience. I'm just not sure what Belichick's deal is.
Speaking of mega-superstars, it was good to see the classless Alex Rodriguez get pummelled in the New York tabloids today.
In case you missed it, A-Rod announced (through his agent, the equally classless Scott Boras) that he was opting out of his New York Yankee contract during the middle of game four of the World Series. Now I have nothing to say about how much money he earns (a lot) or how much he could earn in free agency (a lot more). But to make the announcement then, during the deciding game of the series, smacks of self-righteous, egocentric selfishness. Apparently, since he can't bring his team to the series, he'll make the series about him.
As far as I'm concerned, I love the fact he opted out. Since Texas was paying a good portion of the contract (per the trade agreement with the Yankees, in exchange for Alfonso Soriano), they have suddenly found money they didn't think they'd have. I have to wonder if Ranger's owner Tom Hicks knew in advance of Rodriguez' plans. Perhaps he assured Hicks that he would opt out after 7 years (per the contract allowance) if Hicks would okay the trade (and the bucks) to the Yankees. It would explain why Tom Hicks is the only man in the DFW metroplex to have anything nice to say about the former MVP.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
I've been away and have also been back and forth with various doctors regarding my failing kidneys. While it isn't something that is imminent, she is starting to talk to me about a future with diaysis, and a possible transplant. I've known for 4 years, ever since I had a humoral rejection back in 2003.
Because the rejection was discovered at it's earliest stages, only my kidneys were damaged. Most humoral rejections are fatal because they aren't diagnosed quickly enough. Had my doctor not tested me (on a hunch of his), I likely would not have survived it either.
Anyway, my numbers are really bad and apparently have been getting progressively worse.
Now, to change the subject...
I came upon an interesting website called The List Universe today and I thought I'd share an interesting one with you:
Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions
1. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.
2. “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates
3. “Lee DeForest has said in many newspapers and over his signature that it would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years. Based on these absurd and deliberately misleading statements, the misguided public … has been persuaded to purchase stock in his company …” — a U.S. District Attorney, prosecuting American inventor Lee DeForest for selling stock fraudulently through the mail for his Radio Telephone Company in 1913.
4. “There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner, in 1961 (the first commercial communications satellite went into service in 1965).
5. “To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth - all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, in 1926
6. “A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” — New York Times, 1936.
7. “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical (sic) and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” - Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.
8. “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.
9. “There will never be a bigger plane built.” — A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people
10. “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” -– Alex Lewyt, president of vacuum cleaner company Lewyt Corp., in the New York Times in 1955.
11. “This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.” — Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during World War II, advising President Truman on the atomic bomb, 1945.[6] Leahy admitted the error five years later in his memoirs
12. “The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” — Ernest Rutherford, shortly after splitting the atom for the first time.
13. “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” — Albert Einstein, 1932
14. “The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916
15. “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty - a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903
16. “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.
17. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876).
18. “The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most.” — IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959.
19. “I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.” — HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901.
20. “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” — Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883.
21. “The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916.
22. “How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat, 1800s.
23. “Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1889 (Edison often ridiculed the arguments of competitor George Westinghouse for AC power).
24. “Home Taping Is Killing Music” — A 1980s campaign by the BPI, claiming that people recording music off the radio onto cassette would destroy the music industry.
25. “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” — Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.
26. “[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.
27. “When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it.” - Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
28. “Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” — Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York, 1830(?).
29. “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London.
30. “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
Because the rejection was discovered at it's earliest stages, only my kidneys were damaged. Most humoral rejections are fatal because they aren't diagnosed quickly enough. Had my doctor not tested me (on a hunch of his), I likely would not have survived it either.
Anyway, my numbers are really bad and apparently have been getting progressively worse.
Now, to change the subject...
I came upon an interesting website called The List Universe today and I thought I'd share an interesting one with you:
Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions
1. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.
2. “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates
3. “Lee DeForest has said in many newspapers and over his signature that it would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years. Based on these absurd and deliberately misleading statements, the misguided public … has been persuaded to purchase stock in his company …” — a U.S. District Attorney, prosecuting American inventor Lee DeForest for selling stock fraudulently through the mail for his Radio Telephone Company in 1913.
4. “There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner, in 1961 (the first commercial communications satellite went into service in 1965).
5. “To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth - all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, in 1926
6. “A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” — New York Times, 1936.
7. “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical (sic) and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” - Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.
8. “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.
9. “There will never be a bigger plane built.” — A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people
10. “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” -– Alex Lewyt, president of vacuum cleaner company Lewyt Corp., in the New York Times in 1955.
11. “This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.” — Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during World War II, advising President Truman on the atomic bomb, 1945.[6] Leahy admitted the error five years later in his memoirs
12. “The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” — Ernest Rutherford, shortly after splitting the atom for the first time.
13. “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” — Albert Einstein, 1932
14. “The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916
15. “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty - a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903
16. “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.
17. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876).
18. “The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most.” — IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959.
19. “I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.” — HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901.
20. “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” — Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883.
21. “The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916.
22. “How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat, 1800s.
23. “Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1889 (Edison often ridiculed the arguments of competitor George Westinghouse for AC power).
24. “Home Taping Is Killing Music” — A 1980s campaign by the BPI, claiming that people recording music off the radio onto cassette would destroy the music industry.
25. “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” — Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.
26. “[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.
27. “When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it.” - Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
28. “Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” — Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York, 1830(?).
29. “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London.
30. “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Does anybody know how many students and alumni of St. John's University were affected by the events of 9/11?
I would assume, being that St. John's three campuses are in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island, that the number must be significant.
Therefore, what can be almost understood in a California college, makes me shudder when it happens in New York.
I'm simply aghast at the idea that St. John's University has determined - in what one can only think to be a bad joke - that a major grant is to be given to explore historic and contemporary notions of the houri, the female companion awarded to a Muslim male upon his entry into paradise, according to Islamic tradition.
That's right. In the shadow of the Twin Towers, students will be learning about their friend's and families murderers and their so-called 72 virgins.
I kid you not.
Regardless of what President Bush confesses, Islam is NOT a "religion of peace." Is it peaceful to hijack airplanes and ram them into skyscrapers? Is it peaceful to slice peoples heads off and drag their bloody carcases around town? Is it peaceful to bring thousands of people to the town square to shout "Death to America", or "Death to Israel?" Is it peaceful to target innocent children while learning in school?
What exactly is peaceful about the "religion of peace?"
I have supported this administration and the war it has waged because I believe it is better to kill them before they kill me. I know, based on words and deeds, that the intention of modern-day (and older-day, as well) Islam is for the destruction of the Jewish people and of all things modern. Anyone who can still sit there and believe that if we just give in to the demands of the Islamists - I no longer will refer to them as Islamofacists because it ridicules their real danger - is clearly demented, or has been living under a rock.
We live in a time of great danger. Unfortunately, too many Americans have fallen for the sweet talk of "Clinton years." Even today, Hillary Clinton urges voters to remember the "good times" we had when Bill was in charge.
Well, even the good times come with a price tag, my friends. For eight years, we sat around and blamed all our troubles on Rush Limbaugh or Kenneth Starr. The first World Trade Center attack was "police matter". Remember? The bombing of our embassies and the the attack on the U.S.S. Cole was just an individual episode. No need to worry, my fellow Americans, the world is good.
But big, bad George Bush stole the election from poor, defenseless Al Gore, and then LOOK what happened!!! The big meany made such a fuss that we were at "war" and that if you are "with us" you are our friend, but if you are "against us" you were our enemy.
No, Bill Clinton and his people played nice. She nice Madeline Albright shaking hands with that guy from North Korea? See that nice Mr. Berger shoving stolen documents into his pants? I'm sure they weren't very important. Certainly not as important as that mean George Bush outing a CIA agent who wasn't covert and was someone everyone knew. No, that was the story.
And now, after all this time, even Mr. Bush has become confused. Who can blame him? I mean, here we are - in 2007 - and two well-respected professors in Chicago are the toast of the town because they wrote a sequel to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. In fact, Academia in general has become nothing more than a sewage of anti-Semitism, defeatism and self-destruction.
But to grant money to study the issue of 72 virgins that a suicide bomber gets in Paradise? That's beyond sick.
*************************
You know, it doesn't bother me in the least that Barack Obama doesn't wear an American flag on his lapel. I don't either.
But his answer as to why he doesn't bothers me a great deal. When approached about it, here is what he said:
"The truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin," the Senator admitted. But "that became a substitute for . . . true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security." And so, he declared, "I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."
My first reaction was, "what a load of crap." But then I considered the comments further and I wondered...
Is Senator Obama insinuating that those who do wear an American flag do not have true patriotism?
Of course not. However, by showing nuance to the simple question, instead of just saying he doesn't think a pin makes him a patriot, he fell into somewhat of a John Kerry-esqe mode of obfuscating the truth. Now, because of his answer, he will have to answer his critics and the media as well over a silly issue that would have played no difference to his campaign. instead, it leads to a bigger question of his legitimacy as a candidate.
*************************
Yes, my Dallas Cowboys are very lucky to have faced such a horrible opponent as the Buffalo Bills Monday night. You can say what you will about them, but keep in mind that they won the game. In years past (certainly since 1996), these were the kind of games they would easily lose.
Yes, Romo was shell-shocked and threw poorly. But the defense was outstanding - no only holding the Bills' offense to just 3 points, but having to stop numerous drives that started in Cowboy territory due to Cowboy turnovers.
But then again, it was the Buffalo Bills. One thing I have noticed over the many years I've followed the Cowboys - every team that plays them comes with their "A" game. Because of their obscene popularity, opponents chomp at the bit to dethrone "America's Team". I'm not just talking about the division rivals either. Look at Buffalo, for example. Those fans (and players) didn't just want to win, they wanted to "beat the Cowboys".
Another thing came to mind while watching ESPN the other day...
When I was a kid, there wasn't a 24-hour-a-day sports network, and certainly no 24-hour-a-day NFL network. When it came to coverage of the team, you relied on the three locals (ABC, NBC and CBS), or the local newspapers.
Now, with all the media coverage on TV, radio and the Internet, football is everywhere. I can only imagine how the teams back in the 70's with Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and the rest of them would have been portrayed. I mean, these were back in the days before parity.
This week, the Cowboys are hosting the also unbeaten New England Patriots in what is being called the game of the year. But back then, there were the same 6-8 teams always in the hunt for the championship. Back then, we had dynasties. For instance, every year - from 1970 to 1979 - every NFC championship featured either the Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings or the (then) Los Angeles Rams. And in the AFC, it was either Oakland, Pittsburgh, Miami, Denver or Baltimore.
Imagine how all of those teams would have been covered in these days of ESPN.
I would assume, being that St. John's three campuses are in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island, that the number must be significant.
Therefore, what can be almost understood in a California college, makes me shudder when it happens in New York.
I'm simply aghast at the idea that St. John's University has determined - in what one can only think to be a bad joke - that a major grant is to be given to explore historic and contemporary notions of the houri, the female companion awarded to a Muslim male upon his entry into paradise, according to Islamic tradition.
That's right. In the shadow of the Twin Towers, students will be learning about their friend's and families murderers and their so-called 72 virgins.
I kid you not.
Regardless of what President Bush confesses, Islam is NOT a "religion of peace." Is it peaceful to hijack airplanes and ram them into skyscrapers? Is it peaceful to slice peoples heads off and drag their bloody carcases around town? Is it peaceful to bring thousands of people to the town square to shout "Death to America", or "Death to Israel?" Is it peaceful to target innocent children while learning in school?
What exactly is peaceful about the "religion of peace?"
I have supported this administration and the war it has waged because I believe it is better to kill them before they kill me. I know, based on words and deeds, that the intention of modern-day (and older-day, as well) Islam is for the destruction of the Jewish people and of all things modern. Anyone who can still sit there and believe that if we just give in to the demands of the Islamists - I no longer will refer to them as Islamofacists because it ridicules their real danger - is clearly demented, or has been living under a rock.
We live in a time of great danger. Unfortunately, too many Americans have fallen for the sweet talk of "Clinton years." Even today, Hillary Clinton urges voters to remember the "good times" we had when Bill was in charge.
Well, even the good times come with a price tag, my friends. For eight years, we sat around and blamed all our troubles on Rush Limbaugh or Kenneth Starr. The first World Trade Center attack was "police matter". Remember? The bombing of our embassies and the the attack on the U.S.S. Cole was just an individual episode. No need to worry, my fellow Americans, the world is good.
But big, bad George Bush stole the election from poor, defenseless Al Gore, and then LOOK what happened!!! The big meany made such a fuss that we were at "war" and that if you are "with us" you are our friend, but if you are "against us" you were our enemy.
No, Bill Clinton and his people played nice. She nice Madeline Albright shaking hands with that guy from North Korea? See that nice Mr. Berger shoving stolen documents into his pants? I'm sure they weren't very important. Certainly not as important as that mean George Bush outing a CIA agent who wasn't covert and was someone everyone knew. No, that was the story.
And now, after all this time, even Mr. Bush has become confused. Who can blame him? I mean, here we are - in 2007 - and two well-respected professors in Chicago are the toast of the town because they wrote a sequel to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. In fact, Academia in general has become nothing more than a sewage of anti-Semitism, defeatism and self-destruction.
But to grant money to study the issue of 72 virgins that a suicide bomber gets in Paradise? That's beyond sick.
You know, it doesn't bother me in the least that Barack Obama doesn't wear an American flag on his lapel. I don't either.
But his answer as to why he doesn't bothers me a great deal. When approached about it, here is what he said:
"The truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin," the Senator admitted. But "that became a substitute for . . . true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security." And so, he declared, "I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."
My first reaction was, "what a load of crap." But then I considered the comments further and I wondered...
Is Senator Obama insinuating that those who do wear an American flag do not have true patriotism?
Of course not. However, by showing nuance to the simple question, instead of just saying he doesn't think a pin makes him a patriot, he fell into somewhat of a John Kerry-esqe mode of obfuscating the truth. Now, because of his answer, he will have to answer his critics and the media as well over a silly issue that would have played no difference to his campaign. instead, it leads to a bigger question of his legitimacy as a candidate.
Yes, my Dallas Cowboys are very lucky to have faced such a horrible opponent as the Buffalo Bills Monday night. You can say what you will about them, but keep in mind that they won the game. In years past (certainly since 1996), these were the kind of games they would easily lose.
Yes, Romo was shell-shocked and threw poorly. But the defense was outstanding - no only holding the Bills' offense to just 3 points, but having to stop numerous drives that started in Cowboy territory due to Cowboy turnovers.
But then again, it was the Buffalo Bills. One thing I have noticed over the many years I've followed the Cowboys - every team that plays them comes with their "A" game. Because of their obscene popularity, opponents chomp at the bit to dethrone "America's Team". I'm not just talking about the division rivals either. Look at Buffalo, for example. Those fans (and players) didn't just want to win, they wanted to "beat the Cowboys".
Another thing came to mind while watching ESPN the other day...
When I was a kid, there wasn't a 24-hour-a-day sports network, and certainly no 24-hour-a-day NFL network. When it came to coverage of the team, you relied on the three locals (ABC, NBC and CBS), or the local newspapers.
Now, with all the media coverage on TV, radio and the Internet, football is everywhere. I can only imagine how the teams back in the 70's with Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and the rest of them would have been portrayed. I mean, these were back in the days before parity.
This week, the Cowboys are hosting the also unbeaten New England Patriots in what is being called the game of the year. But back then, there were the same 6-8 teams always in the hunt for the championship. Back then, we had dynasties. For instance, every year - from 1970 to 1979 - every NFC championship featured either the Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings or the (then) Los Angeles Rams. And in the AFC, it was either Oakland, Pittsburgh, Miami, Denver or Baltimore.
Imagine how all of those teams would have been covered in these days of ESPN.
Monday, October 01, 2007
The so-called "religion of peace" (a piece of Iraq, a piece of America, a piece of Great Britain...) is rearing it's not-so-peaceful head again.
In suburban Detroit, car windshields were plastered with anti-Jewish and anti-Christian fliers on Friday, according to the McComb (County) Daily. Although the owners of the New Sahara restaurant said they are Chaldean Catholics and do not condone violence against others who have opposite religious beliefs, many people in the Detroit area are affiliated with the more radical fundamentalist Muslim community. In fact, Dearborn - a major suburb of Detroit - is home to the largest Muslim population in the country and has been a hot spot for financing jihadist campaigns worldwide.
Once again, local area police ignore the threat with the "aw shucks, it ain't so bad attitude." Sterling Heights police Detective Sgt. Paul Jesperson. "I would imagine many people thought this was some type of advertising flier and didn't even read it," Jesperson said.
How much do you want to wager that if this flyer were promoting the killing of Muslims every politician from here to Hawaii would be screaming from the hilltops?
But don't worry, McComb County (and the rest of America), it's just the Christians and the Jooos"
************************
Philippe Karsenty was found liable for insulting Charles Enderlin and France2 to the sum of 3000 Euros to Enderlin and 5 symbolic Euros to France2.
What does this mean?
It means that France is willing to sacrifice the truth in order to appease the Muslims.
In the early part of the second Intifada, viewers worldwide watched in horror as Muhammad al-Durrah a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, was killed during a shootout with Israeli police. At the time, the boy was seen cowering in fear next to his father when he was struck in the crossfire. However, it soon became to light that the scene that unfolded on France's Channel 2 may have been staged, and that al-Durrah was not killed - and if he was, it may have been at the hands of the Arabs.
In trying to investigate the event, Philippe Karsenty wrote on his Media-Ratings website (site in French) that the event was indeed staged. This led to the lawsuit against Karsenty by France 2, which basically kills any chance that anyone will ever learn the truth.
Whether al-Durrah was killed or not, or whether he was killed by Israeli soldiers or not, play a huge role in the events of the Middle East. For the Arabs, they used it as a rally cry to drum up support for their cause worldwide. For Israeli's, it vindicates them in a tragic death of a young boy and once again (since the world has a very short memory) who and what we are fighting against. The truth is, the fact that it surprised so few people in America when it was deemed (true or not) a fake, does cause one to be a bit optimistic about the future of Arab propaganda.
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CAIR: McCain Doesn't Want Muslim as President
Kinda makes me want to reconsider him. Truthfully, I've never been a big fan of John McCain - in fact, I often confuse him with the star of the Die Hard movie. Also, while I also prefer a Christian president (I fear that should a Jew become President, he will have had to sacrificed far too much to lead, ala Joe Lieberman in 2000), I certainly am against a practicing-Muslim winning. There has been a lot of talk of the "Jewish Cabal", or "Jewish lobby" calling the shots for the USA to benefit Israel. While I find that remark remarkable absurd, the truth is that the Jewish people feel a tremendous amount of love and loyalty for the State of Israel. I have no doubt that many Muslims feel that way about their home lands. However, Israel is a free and open democracy. Israel is a tolerant (mostly, unless you want to kill them) and accepting country.
But when the President of the US is a Muslim, who is he showing "home-grown" loyalty to? Unfortunately, the millions of Jihadi Arabs have completely hijacked the name of Islam and in doing so has spread fear and lack of trust towards many Muslim people. Even Barack Obama, whose middle name is Mohammed, has received flack from his detractors, even though he is clearly not an Islamist. He may be a Left-wing, liberal pseudo-communist/socialist, but he's not an American-hating Islamofacist.
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Rush Limbaugh may have a big mouth and may say stupid things (and he does, often), but Tom Harkin is a Senator and should show a little more maturity. In criticizing Limbaugh, who called someone a "phony soldier" (he actually turned out to be a phony), Harkin followed the Leftist logic and lambasted Limbaugh for calling opponents of the war "phonies."
First of all, if you want to beat down Limbaugh, at least get your facts right. The soldier, Jesse MacBeth, served in the military for 44 days, but was never a soldier. He also claimed to have received a Purple-Heart and described all of the atrocities he saw in Iraq. But he never left the US and lied about his award.
Jesse MacBeth, poster boy for the anti-war left, had his day in court. And you know what? He was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. He spent 44 days before he washed out of boot camp. Jesse MacBeth isn't an Army Ranger as claimed, and he never was. He isn't a corporal as claimed, and he never was. He never won the Purple Heart a claimed, and he was never in combat to witness the horrors he claimed to have seen.
But Tom Harkin, Liberal Democrat Senator from Iowa, has the time to waste on the Senate floor by saying, "Maybe he was just high on his drugs again."
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Now, just a few words about my Dallas Cowboys...
This past week's game against the Rams was a better test for the 'Boys than most people know. Although the Rams came in limping badly, this was the kind of opponent that in years past would have caught the Cowboys sleeping. It wasn't until Tony Romo put the game on his shoulders and infused some life into what was a lackluster 1st half.
While it is way to early to christen Romo the second coming of Roger Staubach (my personal favorite all-time ball player whom I idolized as a boy), there is something very special about him. The way he plays the game, his enthusiasm and his fearless abandon all together give him an edge over 90% of he quarterbacks out there. Honestly, aside from maybe Brett Favre and maybe Donovan McNabb, wouldn't have just landed on the ball and taken a huge loss on the play that Romo instead ran for a 1st down?
The funny thing is that in the 1970's, there was no ESPN, or any 24/7 sports coverage. Many times - between 1966 and 1983 - the Dallas Cowboys were at 4-0, or 3-1, season after season after season. Now, if you turn on any of a myriad of sports networking (especially the NFL Network), you would think being 4-0 (or even 3-1) is a major accomplishment and already questions have been raised over whether a team could go 16-0 for the first time ever.
As far as I'm concerned, the only team I ever saw that I thought was good enough to do it was the 1985 Chicago Bears. As far as this year goes, I believe if anyone could do it, it will be the New England Patriots. But they have to play in Dallas in 2 weeks and the 'Boys, who are up against the soft Vikings, could go into the game with the Pats undefeated as well. Plus, New England has a late season game against the currently unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.
If anyone can beat the Patriots, I believe Dallas and Indy can. In order to beat New England, you need to score a lot of points. Dallas has an improving Defense as well as a powerful offense, as do the Colts. It Will be a fun game to watch. No matter what happens, I hope that the Cowboys win the rematch next February (wishful thinking?).
In suburban Detroit, car windshields were plastered with anti-Jewish and anti-Christian fliers on Friday, according to the McComb (County) Daily. Although the owners of the New Sahara restaurant said they are Chaldean Catholics and do not condone violence against others who have opposite religious beliefs, many people in the Detroit area are affiliated with the more radical fundamentalist Muslim community. In fact, Dearborn - a major suburb of Detroit - is home to the largest Muslim population in the country and has been a hot spot for financing jihadist campaigns worldwide.
Once again, local area police ignore the threat with the "aw shucks, it ain't so bad attitude." Sterling Heights police Detective Sgt. Paul Jesperson. "I would imagine many people thought this was some type of advertising flier and didn't even read it," Jesperson said.
How much do you want to wager that if this flyer were promoting the killing of Muslims every politician from here to Hawaii would be screaming from the hilltops?
But don't worry, McComb County (and the rest of America), it's just the Christians and the Jooos"
Philippe Karsenty was found liable for insulting Charles Enderlin and France2 to the sum of 3000 Euros to Enderlin and 5 symbolic Euros to France2.
What does this mean?
It means that France is willing to sacrifice the truth in order to appease the Muslims.
In the early part of the second Intifada, viewers worldwide watched in horror as Muhammad al-Durrah a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, was killed during a shootout with Israeli police. At the time, the boy was seen cowering in fear next to his father when he was struck in the crossfire. However, it soon became to light that the scene that unfolded on France's Channel 2 may have been staged, and that al-Durrah was not killed - and if he was, it may have been at the hands of the Arabs.
In trying to investigate the event, Philippe Karsenty wrote on his Media-Ratings website (site in French) that the event was indeed staged. This led to the lawsuit against Karsenty by France 2, which basically kills any chance that anyone will ever learn the truth.
Whether al-Durrah was killed or not, or whether he was killed by Israeli soldiers or not, play a huge role in the events of the Middle East. For the Arabs, they used it as a rally cry to drum up support for their cause worldwide. For Israeli's, it vindicates them in a tragic death of a young boy and once again (since the world has a very short memory) who and what we are fighting against. The truth is, the fact that it surprised so few people in America when it was deemed (true or not) a fake, does cause one to be a bit optimistic about the future of Arab propaganda.
CAIR: McCain Doesn't Want Muslim as President
Kinda makes me want to reconsider him. Truthfully, I've never been a big fan of John McCain - in fact, I often confuse him with the star of the Die Hard movie. Also, while I also prefer a Christian president (I fear that should a Jew become President, he will have had to sacrificed far too much to lead, ala Joe Lieberman in 2000), I certainly am against a practicing-Muslim winning. There has been a lot of talk of the "Jewish Cabal", or "Jewish lobby" calling the shots for the USA to benefit Israel. While I find that remark remarkable absurd, the truth is that the Jewish people feel a tremendous amount of love and loyalty for the State of Israel. I have no doubt that many Muslims feel that way about their home lands. However, Israel is a free and open democracy. Israel is a tolerant (mostly, unless you want to kill them) and accepting country.
But when the President of the US is a Muslim, who is he showing "home-grown" loyalty to? Unfortunately, the millions of Jihadi Arabs have completely hijacked the name of Islam and in doing so has spread fear and lack of trust towards many Muslim people. Even Barack Obama, whose middle name is Mohammed, has received flack from his detractors, even though he is clearly not an Islamist. He may be a Left-wing, liberal pseudo-communist/socialist, but he's not an American-hating Islamofacist.
In news from my neck of the woods, children who attend schools in Ridgeland School District 122 (Oak Lawn, IL) are very upset that their local celebrations of Christmas and New Years might be renamed, or even eliminated entirely, all because of a complaint by one Muslim parent.
The district has a 30 percent Arabic population. The superintendent says the reason for the change in tradition comes after one parent wanted Ramadan decorations put up inside Columbus Manor Elementary. They were taken down.
Superintendent Tom Smyth said, "I go back to our policy which says that public schools are to remain neutral in this respect."
In the meantime, Arab children are being allowed to pray during what's being called their own time, that's lunch time, during Ramadan.
Look, I have no problem with allowing Kwanzaa, Chanukah or even Ramadan decorations. I have no problem with kids praying during their free time in school. But I have a really hard time with schools who will bend over backwards to accommodate one ethnic group at the expense, or even at the exclusion of another group. Go ahead and leave the holidays alone and let everyone be who they are. But they should never allow Muslim kids to get away with things that Christian or Jewish children can't.
Again, if it were a Christian mom making the fuss, who would notice or care?
Rush Limbaugh may have a big mouth and may say stupid things (and he does, often), but Tom Harkin is a Senator and should show a little more maturity. In criticizing Limbaugh, who called someone a "phony soldier" (he actually turned out to be a phony), Harkin followed the Leftist logic and lambasted Limbaugh for calling opponents of the war "phonies."
First of all, if you want to beat down Limbaugh, at least get your facts right. The soldier, Jesse MacBeth, served in the military for 44 days, but was never a soldier. He also claimed to have received a Purple-Heart and described all of the atrocities he saw in Iraq. But he never left the US and lied about his award.
Jesse MacBeth, poster boy for the anti-war left, had his day in court. And you know what? He was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. He spent 44 days before he washed out of boot camp. Jesse MacBeth isn't an Army Ranger as claimed, and he never was. He isn't a corporal as claimed, and he never was. He never won the Purple Heart a claimed, and he was never in combat to witness the horrors he claimed to have seen.
But Tom Harkin, Liberal Democrat Senator from Iowa, has the time to waste on the Senate floor by saying, "Maybe he was just high on his drugs again."
Stay classy, Senator! You even make Hillary look good.
Now, just a few words about my Dallas Cowboys...
This past week's game against the Rams was a better test for the 'Boys than most people know. Although the Rams came in limping badly, this was the kind of opponent that in years past would have caught the Cowboys sleeping. It wasn't until Tony Romo put the game on his shoulders and infused some life into what was a lackluster 1st half.
While it is way to early to christen Romo the second coming of Roger Staubach (my personal favorite all-time ball player whom I idolized as a boy), there is something very special about him. The way he plays the game, his enthusiasm and his fearless abandon all together give him an edge over 90% of he quarterbacks out there. Honestly, aside from maybe Brett Favre and maybe Donovan McNabb, wouldn't have just landed on the ball and taken a huge loss on the play that Romo instead ran for a 1st down?
The funny thing is that in the 1970's, there was no ESPN, or any 24/7 sports coverage. Many times - between 1966 and 1983 - the Dallas Cowboys were at 4-0, or 3-1, season after season after season. Now, if you turn on any of a myriad of sports networking (especially the NFL Network), you would think being 4-0 (or even 3-1) is a major accomplishment and already questions have been raised over whether a team could go 16-0 for the first time ever.
As far as I'm concerned, the only team I ever saw that I thought was good enough to do it was the 1985 Chicago Bears. As far as this year goes, I believe if anyone could do it, it will be the New England Patriots. But they have to play in Dallas in 2 weeks and the 'Boys, who are up against the soft Vikings, could go into the game with the Pats undefeated as well. Plus, New England has a late season game against the currently unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.
If anyone can beat the Patriots, I believe Dallas and Indy can. In order to beat New England, you need to score a lot of points. Dallas has an improving Defense as well as a powerful offense, as do the Colts. It Will be a fun game to watch. No matter what happens, I hope that the Cowboys win the rematch next February (wishful thinking?).
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