Eccentric/Conservative

A couple of random internet pics that caught my eye

2012-02-15T07:48:00.000-06:00

Take from them whatever you like. . .

Rest in peace, Whitney

2012-02-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest singers of all-time passed away on Saturday. Being that February is Black. . . excuse me, African-American History Month, I believe a tribute by Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate would be in order.

Highly inappropriate, but. . .

2012-02-13T10:03:00.000-06:00

Just Thinking Out Loud: The expanded Twitterverse

2012-02-13T07:44:00.000-06:00

One of the newly designed sign-in pages for Twitter features a group of young people playing cricket amid the backdrop of a mosque (pictured below). In comparison, is it such a stretch to presume that we will never see anyone doing anything near a church?

Probably not. After all, that would be culturally insensitive.

click to enlarge

Iconic Shot: Wellington College

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-06:00

Located on a 400 acre estate in southeast England, not far from Windsor Castle, is Wellington College, a selective co-educational public school in the same G-20 vein as Eton College, Phillips Academy and Harvard-Westlake.

The school is also a national monument to Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), the Duke of Wellington. A Christian and Tory Conservative, the Irish-born commander of the Seventh Coalition defeated Napoléon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The triumph ended the Napoleonic Wars and ushered the era of Pax Britannica, by which the British Empire controlled most trade routes and possessed uncontested military supremacy while the European continent itself enjoyed near-constant peace for 100 years.

Sunday’s Quote: Judging from where we came

2012-02-12T23:54:00.001-06:00

c/o Metro UK

Note: I’m a Europhile and an unapologetic WASP, both of which are akin to my heritage and identity. So the following is of great personal interest to me.

A graduate of the prestigious Eton College (a world renowned English public school) and the similarly esteemed Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Kwasi Kwarteng is a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Spelthorne constituency for the Conservative Party in the British House of Commons. He is also the child of parents who were subjects of the British Empire, first in their native Ghana and later as immigrants to England. Accordingly Kwarteng’s new book, Ghosts of Empire, offers a distinct perspective about the oft-aspersed British Empire that one may not expect.

As an alternative to the predictable, almost requisite condemnation of the largest empire the world has ever known, Kwarteng instead assesses the kingdom somewhat more magnanimously by weighing both the Empire’s progressive influence with its impulsive callousness. The truth, as one review explained, is that the Empire “was the product, not of a grand idea, but of often chaotic individual improvisation,” the result of unconventional governors and attachés who nevertheless operated the royal enterprise with an unparalleled level of success that was more than one-sided.

Kwarteng’s perspective, once the historical norm, is now disparaged by those who view the Empire as a collection of oppressive White Europeans that merely exploited people from other parts of the world who were, in essence, their exact opposite. Not so unexpectedly, this has also become a gradually prevalent interpretation of our own United States.

To be sure, the very concept of our domestic exceptionalism first referenced in Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America some 175 years ago is being supplanted by post-nationalist intellectuals among the left who, at their core, are abhorred — whether they admit it or not — by the very principles that developed America into a social and economic model coveted by billions. As it turns out, we elected a philosophical spawn of these left-wing ideologues to lead our nation just a few years ago, the consequences of which have been questionable at best.

A piece in The Wall Street Journal tied it all together a couple of days ago.

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“In his recent State of the Union speech, President Obama said: ‘Anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned doesn’t know what they’re talking about.’ It was hardly a Churchillian rejoinder, but then it was a very demotic speech, and he is wrong. By almost any criteria, the American influence in the world has indeed waned since the Eisenhower administration, but it still has a good head start on the British Empire, which was antidemocratic, protectionist, slow to innovate and largely ruled over by the sportsmen of its only two great universities. America, by contrast, is — when it is true to itself — a proselytizing democracy, free-market and innovational, which has more than a dozen of the world’s top 20 universities.

“Where the British Empire does indeed hold a message for modern America is in the area of self-belief. Many of the British Empire’s worst legacies stemmed from a collapse in confidence among the British elite in the values and principles that had made Britain the largest empire in the history of mankind. Anyone who thinks that just such a spasm of self-doubt among America’s elite isn’t a problem in modern America doesn’t know what he is talking about.”
~ from “Now That The Sun Has Set” by Andrew Roberts, from his review of Kwarteng’s Ghosts of Empire in The Wall Street Journal; February 10, 2012

Just Thinking Out Loud: Still the standard

2012-02-12T10:10:00.000-06:00

Recently described in The Los Angeles Times as “a sort of collaboration with their past,” Van Halen’s first album with David Lee Roth in 28 years is destined to remind enthusiasts about the days of glory engendered by the band’s first six albums; understandable since Roth has acknowledged that much of the material used for A Different Kind of Truth originated from collaborations that occurred “literally, in 1975, 1976 and 1977.”

Whereas revisiting the past is usually a sign of regression, perhaps nothing will be more applauded this time around by the devotees of a band which, not that long ago, was deemed inconsequential, if not finished altogether. If Van Halen III didn’t feel like their demise was imminent, then the active roster’s total absence for their own induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame was surely the band’s death knell — or so it seemed.

Few bands have a more impassioned fan base. Consequently, eagerness for another album never fully waned, as disappointment was always coupled with hopeful expectation for a return to form. And now it seems that fans’ patience has been recompensed at last. Indeed pure Rock, for lack of a better description, is Van Halen’s forte. They raised the bar repeatedly, so perhaps we shouldn’t be altogether surprised by possibly the only band capable of composing such a fun, almost innocent, feel-good classic about a tawdry stripper (“Panama”).

Kids today need to be reminded that Rock isn’t a meager genre’ reserved for aging hipsters desperately clinging to their youth. Most of the newer breed isn’t up to snuff, but the elder statesmen (alongside AC/DC, Metallica, etc.) have answered the call yet again. And now we’re given an album that provides the best of both worlds: DLR’s forestalled return in conjunction with a showcase for Eddie’s re-ascendance to his rightful place on the shredders throne.

A Different Kind of Truth may not be Van Halen’s all-time greatest effort, but the release is nevertheless a far cry from the frustration to which fans had become entirely too accustomed. Welcome back guys. You have been missed.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: They can never resist

2012-02-12T01:58:00.000-06:00

When Charles Krauthammer referenced the left’s “social engineering hubris,” this is a prime example of what he was talking about.

Postscript: Mr. Englehart landed in a bit of hot water recently for examining an unmentionable truth. Click here and judge for yourself.

These pics say a lot

2012-02-10T20:19:00.000-06:00

A couple of random and entirely verifiable facts. . .

Original source(s) unknown

Good question

2012-02-10T06:12:00.000-06:00

Original source unknown

Did You Know (or Care): Inspired by a Colt, not a pistol

2012-02-10T06:02:00.000-06:00

Contrary to popular belief, Colt 45 malt liquor wasn’t named after the famous handgun.

Peter J. Marcher Jr., master brewer for the National Brewing Company (in Baltimore, MD) and developer of the Colt 45 formula, named his beverage after a running back named Jerry Hill. Selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 1961 NFL draft, Hill (pictured) played for the Colts from 1961-1970 and was a member of their Super Bowl V-winning team.

And just to confirm the obvious, Hill wore the #45 jersey during his playing days.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

Caught my attention for all the wrong reasons

2012-02-09T08:41:00.001-06:00

A Grivet Monkey nestles against a radiator to keep warm at a zoo in Qingdao, China. Breaks my heart. . .

Here is a shocking story about how animals in China are treated. Believe me, it will make you want to punch someone in the face. Preferably a communist.

So, I’m relatively intelligent

2012-02-09T08:37:00.001-06:00

I’m told the score falls in the above-average category.

c/o TestYourVocab.com

Happy (belated) birthday, Mr. President

2012-02-09T00:53:00.000-06:00

Our 40th President would have turned 101-years-old three days ago. Although the well-known pic below has been clearly photoshopped, it’s a nice way to remember one of our all-time finest anyway.

Original source unknown

And remember kids. . .

Original source unknown

Good eye

2012-02-09T00:36:00.000-06:00

If I have seen it once, I have seen it hundreds of times. So credit a Frenchman for pointing out the biggest movie poster cliché ever.

Very true

2012-02-07T07:29:00.000-06:00

Original source unknown

Sunday’s Quote: Class warfare

2012-02-05T23:55:00.000-06:00

c/o Gateway Pundit

The term referenced above has been used, and will continue to be exhausted, from now to Election Day. There’s really no escaping it, so we may as well have a more distinct view of its meaning.

Presently class warfare consists of elected officials persuading the underprivileged to believe that their financial subjugation is solely the result of an affluent minority — let’s call them the “1%” — who doesn’t pay their “fair share.” While pandering and demonizing may offer the perception of sympathy for the less fortunate, it’s the riling of mass dissention that permits those same bureaucrats to deflect from their unprecedented fiscal recklessness, evidently for the sake of suffocating (if not eliminating) the economic model that has afforded so much, in exchange for initiating policies that both embolden goverment and penalize personal accomplishment.

This is not to imply that the tax code is an example of government at its best. Far from it. But the numbers don’t lie.

According to the American Enterprise Institute, the wealthiest 1% of the population earned 19% of the total income and paid 37% of all income tax in 2007, the year before Obama was elected (and long before chatter about “fair share” became commonplace). Moreover the top 10% accounted for 68% of federal tax revenue, while the bottom 50% — those of us below the median earnings level — earned a paltry 13% of the income and paid just 3% of the taxes.

Kiplinger’s updated numbers, which are nearly identical to the data above, can be found here.

The humble purveyor of this blog is not a one-percenter; not by any stretch. But I would like to be among them one day. And because no nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity, people would be wise to resist anything that could stymie their ability reach the pinnacle in this, the greatest of all nations.

No thank you, Mr. President. A fundamental transformation of our nation is not required. Taxes are not the real problem. Federal expenditures, and the pseudo-philosophy that drives such disbursements, are. Here is syndicated columnist George F. Will to expand upon the point.

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“Government becomes big by having big ambitions for supplanting markets as society’s primary allocator of wealth and opportunity. Therefore it becomes a magnet for factions muscular enough, in money or numbers or both, to bend government to their advantage.

“The left’s centuries-old mission is to increase social harmony by decreasing antagonisms arising from disparities of wealth – to decrease inequality by increasing government’s redistributive activities. Such government constantly expands under the unending, indeed intensifying, pressures to correct what it disapproves of – the distribution of wealth produced by consensual market activities. But as government presumes to dictate the correct distribution of social rewards, the maelstrom of contemporary politics demonstrates that social strife, not solidarity, is generated by government transfer payments to preferred groups. . . .

“People are less dissatisfied by what they lack than by what others have. And when government engages in redistribution in order to maximize the happiness of citizens who became more envious as they become more comfortable, government becomes increasingly frenzied and futile.”
~ from “Government: The redistributionist behemoth” by George F. Will, The Washington Post; January 6, 2012

Editorial Sketch of the Week: Waiting. . .

2012-02-04T23:48:00.000-06:00

And remember kids. . .

Original source unknown

List Fest: Comparing the last 10 Super Bowl halftime shows

2012-02-03T21:42:00.000-06:00

Halftime festivities for “The Big Game” didn’t become a headline-making spectacle until 1993 when Michael Jackson catapulted onto the stage and, prior to performing, stood frozen for what seemed like an hour. Since then, news about the midgame entertainment has come to garner nearly as much attention as the final showdown between the NFL’s two conference champions itself.

Since the general public seems less than thrilled about Madonna giggling and gyrating her old bones for the sake of our viewing pleasure, if not morbid curiosity, I thought a quick review of the last 10 Super Bowl halftime shows would be in order:

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Super Bowl XLV {Packers vs. Steelers} – The Black Eyed Peas w/ Usher and Slash: So insipid, I forgot they even played last year.

Super Bowl XLIV {Saints vs. Colts} – The Who: Not great, but better than the acts between whom they are sandwiched.

Super Bowl XLIII {Steelers vs. Cardinals} – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Sort of a jumbled effort. It seems Bruce in particular was trying too hard.

Super Bowl XLII {Giants vs. Patriots} – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Played above expectations; the last gratifying performance thus far.

Super Bowl XLI {Colts vs. Bears} – Prince: Impressive; perhaps the most outstanding routine of them all.

Super Bowl XL {Steelers vs. Seahawks} – The Rolling Stones: The boys from London really looked their age. Mick only wishes he could jump around the stage like the exuberant Angus Young.

Super Bowl XXXIX {Patriots vs. Eagles} – Paul McCartney: He was fine. Rather lackluster, but there have been plenty worse.

Super Bowl XXXVIII {Patriots vs. Panthers} – Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, et al.: Only MTV, which produced the event, could ever think that flashing one of Janet Jackson’s breasts to nearly a billion people globally would be a good idea.

Super Bowl XXXVII {Buccaneers vs. Raiders} – Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting: I have no recollection of them whatsoever, which is saying a lot considering how much I love Shania.

Super Bowl XXXVI {Patriots vs. Rams} – U2: Bono and company’s 9/11 tribute struck a proper nerve. They did well.

I am SO buying this

2012-02-02T08:58:00.000-06:00

A sizable book about the greatest year in Memphis area rasslin’ history was just released. Stories about Jerry Lawler’s feuds with AWA champ Nick Bockwinkel and NWA champ Ric Flair – along with Lawler’s legendary battle, as it were, with Andy Kaufman – are meticulously illustrated over 434 pages. Anecdotes about numerous fan favorites such as Austin Idol, “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant, “Superstar” Bill Dundee, and perhaps the most underrated tag team ever, The Fabulous Ones are also included.

You may not understand why any of this matters. If you weren’t there, I wouldn’t expect you to.

A Harvard guy explains capitalism

2012-02-01T21:42:00.000-06:00

Jeff Miron, Ph.D. is the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. Though he’s a staunch libertarian who believes that all narcotics should be legalized — a rather common position among the mass of Ron Paul supporters — Miron was also a candid detractor of both President Obama’s financial industry bailout and his Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., “Obamacare”).

Take just a few minutes and listen to the good doctor explain the free market system that has afforded our nation so much. And then contrast his words with the guiding principles implemented by the current administration.

Sort of hypnotizing

2012-02-01T06:53:00.000-06:00

Real Music: Whatever

2012-01-30T06:53:00.000-06:00

Song of the week?

No.

Song of the month?

Not even.

Song of the new millennia?

You betcha.

So take literally 90 seconds for a temporary escape from all of your preoccupations and listen to a song by an eccentric artisan named Liam Lynch. You just might learn about the attitude required to handle what life throws at you.

Sunday’s Quote: Teddy’s rebuttal to the Occupiers

2012-01-29T23:58:00.000-06:00

c/o American Gallery

Although a recent story from LiveScience.com senior writer Stephanie Pappas claims otherwise, it seems the United States is now fundamentally divided into dual factions: those who know what America is, and those who want our Republic, despite their amicable rhetoric, to become something vastly different.

It’s the latter who concerns a substantial portion of the populace most, especially since we began reaping the benefit of choosing one of their own to lead our nation. Referencing Obama’s State of the Union address, syndicated columnist George Will wrote, “Progressive presidents use martial language as a way of encouraging Americans to confuse civilian politics with military exertions, thereby circumventing an impediment to progressive aspirations — the Constitution and the patience it demands.”

He concluded, “Like other progressive presidents fond of military metaphors, [Obama] rejects the patience of politics required by the Constitution he has sworn to uphold.”

Judging from Will’s assertions, one might assume that an Occupier was elected to reside in The White House. It’s not such a stretch considering the hordes of would-be revolutionaries who have taken to the streets in protest all over the world via the belief that ordinary citizens are held down almost entirely by the ultra-wealthy few. If such a driving sentiment isn’t central to the core of Alinsky-inspired class warfare, nothing is.

Nevertheless, the quote included below is not to sing the praises of a flawless system. Far from it. Rather, the words of our 26th President (one of the finest) are tantamount to the hazards of embracing alternatives that are proven to be epic failures already, as the avant-garde Left so often does. Indeed Teddy seemed to understand these Occupier types long before any of them were born, in part because their mantra is not new. Here is Theodore Roosevelt to expand upon the point.

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“. . .as a rule, the business of our people is conducted with honesty and probity, and this applies alike to farms and factories, to railroads and banks, to all our legitimate commercial enterprises.

“In any large body of men, however, there are certain to be some who are dishonest, and if the conditions are such that these men prosper or commit their misdeeds with impunity, their example is a very evil thing for the community. Where these men are business men of great sagacity and of temperament both unscrupulous and reckless, and where the conditions are such that they act without supervision or control and at first without effective check from public opinion, they delude many innocent people into making investments or embarking in kinds of business that are really unsound. When the misdeeds of these successfully dishonest men are discovered, suffering comes not only upon them, but upon the innocent men whom they have misled.

“It is a painful awakening, whenever it occurs; and, naturally, when it does occur those who suffer are apt to forget that the longer it was deferred the more painful it would be. In the effort to punish the guilty it is both wise and proper to endeavor so far as possible to minimize the distress of those who have been misled by the guilty. Yet it is not possible to refrain because of such distress from striving to put an end to the misdeeds that are the ultimate causes of the suffering, and, as a means to this end, where possible to punish those responsible for them. There may be honest differences of opinion as to many governmental policies; but surely there can be no such differences as to the need of unflinching perseverance in the war against successful dishonesty.”
~ from Theodore Roosevelt’s annual Message to Congress; December 3, 1907

Editorial Sketch of the Week: What bias?

2012-01-28T22:22:00.000-06:00

The federal budget, in the simplest possible terms

2012-01-27T21:10:00.000-06:00

Original source unknown

The difference

2012-01-26T06:53:00.000-06:00

Our nation is divided among ideological lines like never before. Here is, in my humble opinion, the best way to view the opposing sides:

Original source unknown

Just Thinking Out Loud: While “fairness” is referenced. . .

2012-01-24T19:42:00.000-06:00

Original source indeterminable

The State of the Union – hopefully Obama’s last – will begin soon. Whereas the President is sure to employ rhetoric about paying our fair share, let us never forget about policies that make George W. Bush appear fiscally responsible in comparison. There is nothing fair about that. So call it racism, ignorance, bigotry, or any other catch term if necessary, because that says far more about you than it does me.

Sunday’s Quote: The impact of fiscal negligence

2012-01-22T23:56:00.003-06:00

c/o U.S. History

Our colossal $15 trillion debt, currently 101.1% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, is tops in the world by far. But CNBC revealed last September that the percentage of American debt-to-income ranks an almost respectable 20th worldwide among other mass-borrowing countries. Australia (138.9% of GDP), Spain (179.4%), Portugal (223.6%), Hong Kong/PRC (250.4%) and Denmark (310.4%) are just five nations that struggle all the more. Yet none surpass the dubious distinction held by Ireland, whose total obligations weigh at a bewildering 1,382% of its GDP.

How such financial calamities occur in sophisticated nations is beyond comprehension, although a failure among elected officials to abide by the standards that established their homeland appears to be the proverbial key that swings the door wide open for unsustainable liabilities that later become domestic nightmares.

Everyday citizens are just as capable of spending in gross excess. Although materialism and greed are unfortunate byproducts of free enterprise, such unscrupulousness is not exclusive to those who benefit so greatly from our economic structure. Moreover, alternative models commonly endorsed among the Left (centrism, collectivism, communism, socialism, etc.) are no better. In fact such ideologies are proven far more stifling to cultures that yearn for opportunity and self-determination.

Hence the social order is left with a question: will we temper ourselves, and thus demand our elected officials to do the same; or will we surrender what remains of our ever-diminishing autonomy and hope that, by some miracle, an unabated government will cease to function according to blank check policies and right the ship by all benevolent means?

Monetary issues concerning both government and the electorate are timeless. Verily we now have a President – a confessed redistributionist in the mold of the above-mentioned philosophies – who evidently views our established system as a mark for ultimate dismantling, the exploitation of which is only used as a platform to endorse something entirely different. To that end, one of the Founders offered the following:

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“The establishment of the new plan of government, in its present form, is a question that involves such immense consequences, to the present times and to posterity, that it calls for the deepest attention of the best and wisest friends of their country and mankind. If it be found right, after mature deliberation, adopt it; if wrong, amend it at all events: for to say that a bad government must be established for fear of anarchy, is really saying that we should kill ourselves for fear of dying!”
~ Richard Henry Lee, in a letter to the Governor of Virginia, Edmund Randolph; October 16, 1787

R.H. Lee (1732-1794) was a signer of the Articles of Confederation and the author of the Lee Resolution, by which the Second Continental Congress declared the Colonies to be independent of the British Empire. He likewise served a one-year term as the President of the Continental Congress and later acted as President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. Yet he is perhaps better known in modern times as the great-uncle of General Robert Edward Lee.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: As Congress returns. . .

2012-01-21T17:33:00.000-06:00

Rather facetious, but noteworthy nevertheless

2012-01-19T06:15:00.001-06:00

A bumper sticker we’re sure to see in the coming months. . .

Original source unknown

They’re back. No doubt about it.

2012-01-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

I became a fan of the San Francisco 49ers before I committed my allegiance to any other team, college or pro. Family born and/or raised in the Bay area (South Bay, to be exact) might’ve fueled my passion from before adolescence – the Age of Montana didn’t hurt, either – but I’ve remained loyal through all the highs and lows, and will remain so for life.

The Niners earned a spot in their conference title game on Sunday for the first time in 14 years. One more win puts the Scarlet & Gold in Super Bowl XLVI for a chance to win the franchise's sixth championship. So today I commemorate their victory over the ’09 champs that applaud both their recent and impending triumph.

Indeed, the smart money says the 49ers will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on February 5. Don’t even doubt it.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

49ers quarterback Alex Smith celebrates after running for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of their NFC Divisional playoff game against New Orleans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The 49ers won in heart-stopping fashion, 36-32.

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Devery Henderson of the New Orleans Saints congratulates Alex Smith after the game went final. It seems the oft-maligned former #1 overall draft pick has finally arrived.

c/o Associated Press

Defensive Tackle Justin Smith, a Godsend from Cincinnati three years ago, celebrates after sacking New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. His leadership on defense will be crucial if the 49ers hope to go all the way.

c/o Associated Press

Safety and special teams contributor Colin Jones celebrates after recovering a fumble by Saints running back Darren Sproles on a punt return as Roman Harper (#41) looks on dejectedly.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Frank Gore (#21), the 49ers second all-time leading rusher, carries the ball as teammate Bruce Miller defends. Gore, by the way, scored a 6 on the Wonderlic test prior to being drafted, which proves that you don’t have to be particularly smart to make a positive impact in the world.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

49er fans en force. They’ve waited a long time for this. Only a win over the dastardly Cowboys would have made it sweeter.

Sunday’s Quote: So is he, or isn’t he?

2012-01-15T23:28:00.000-06:00

c/o The Moorfield Storey Blog

The dispute over Obama’s alleged socialist tendencies has been raging almost nonstop since before he won the presidency, the subsequent burnout of which could possibly result in the electorate neglecting to recognize the peril of embracing an ideology that is the antithesis of the philosophical tenets that maintained our remarkable homeland for over two centuries.

Listen, as it were, to a distinguished European voice from the past, and then compare his definition of socialism to the redistributionist policies our 44th President has implemented for the past three years.

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“[The socialists declare] that the State owes subsistence, well-being, and education to all its citizens; that it should be generous, charitable, involved in everything, devoted to everybody; . . . that it should intervene directly to relieve all suffering, satisfy and anticipate all wants, furnish capital to all enterprises, enlightenment to all minds, balm for all wounds, asylums for all the unfortunate, and even aid to the point of shedding French blood, for all oppressed people on the face of the earth.

“Who would not like to see all these benefits flow forth upon the world from the law, as from an inexhaustible source? . . . But is it possible? . . . Whence does [the State] draw those resources that it is urged to dispense by way of benefits to individuals? Is it not from the individuals themselves? How, then, can these resources be increased by passing through the hands of a parasitic and voracious intermediary?

“Finally . . . we shall see the entire people transformed into petitioners. Landed property, agriculture, industry, commerce, shipping, industrial companies, all will bestir themselves to claim favors from the State. The public treasury will be literally pillaged. Everyone will have good reasons to prove that legal fraternity should be interpreted in this sense: ‘Let me have the benefits, and let others pay the costs.’ Everyone’s effort will be directed toward snatching a scrap of fraternal privilege from the legislature. The suffering classes, although having the greatest claim, will not always have the greatest success.”
~ Political economist and member of the French assembly Claude Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850), a classical liberal considered a forerunner of the Austrian/Libertarian school of economics, from his essay “Justice and fraternity,” published in the academic periodical Journal des Économistes; June 15, 1848

Editorial Sketch of the Week: An indictment of the media-at-large

2012-01-14T20:18:00.000-06:00

A closer look reveals that this is not a knock on Romney. . .

Just Thinking Out Loud: The hot chick paradox

2012-01-12T20:52:00.000-06:00

c/o The Daily Caller

I suppose being married to the lovely Ms. Kardashian isn’t the worst way to spend 72 days. Yet her every move, at least publically, corroborates an old adage for which there is almost no exception – the most visually appealing will also be among the most ceaselessly challenging. Enter her arena at your own risk.

(Not) Real Music: Rump shakers

2012-01-11T22:10:00.001-06:00

An up-and-coming rapper who calls himself Mr. Ghetto doesn't get down at da club to meet women. Major retail outlets are his preference, and “Wal-Mart” (Joe With Da Dreads Mixx 2011) is his hook-up tribute.

I wish this was a joke. But it’s not. The video offering below is evidently not intended to be held in the humorous/tragic context by which most of the industrialized world is bound to regard it. So kick back and enjoy this latest sign of the forthcoming apocalypse. The end is definitely near.

Source: SB Nation

Just a thought for all the haters

2012-01-11T06:02:00.002-06:00

Original source unknown

There’s an essential difference between Christendom and all the rest. Whereas people may look for a reason to believe in other religions, those same individuals tend to search for a reason to not believe in Christianity – an irrefutable consequence of how people respond when exposed to a Truth that doesn’t suit their preferences. Paradoxically, however, folks will always be drawn to a Christian who truly walks it as he/she talks it.

Sunday’s Quote: A “change” for the better?

2012-01-08T23:52:00.000-06:00

c/o FrontPageMag

While an array of social and political circumstances guarantee various echelons of upheaval on any given day, this current era may well mark the first time in which one could rightly contend that persistent feelings of something which looms on the horizon is, indeed, more than a mere gut feeling – an issue made worse by those in positions of authority whose apparent indifference suggests that the welfare of the Republic has been compromised by a more sorted agenda that is vastly inconsistent with our establishing principles.

Dismiss this as conspiracy if you like, but Obama and his minions have made their intentions clear. Only those who refuse to see it will remain blind. But do not fret. Our past Commanders-in-Chief have offered rebuttals already.

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“The people cannot look to legislation generally for success. Industry, thrift, character, are not conferred by act or resolve. Government cannot relieve from toil. It can provide no substitute for the rewards of service. It can, of course, care for the defective and recognize distinguished merit. The normal must care for themselves. Self-government means self-support.”
~ Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States (R-MA, a legit small government Conservative), from his address to the Massachusetts State Senate; January 7, 1914

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“Those who want the Government to regulate matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination. All freedom-loving nations, not the United States alone, are facing a stern challenge from the Communist tyranny. In the circumstances, alarm is justified. The man who isn't alarmed simply doesn't understand the situation — or he is crazy. But alarm is one thing, and hysteria is another. Hysteria impels people to destroy the very thing they are struggling to preserve.

“Invasion and conquest by Communist armies would be a horror beyond our capacity to imagine. But invasion and conquest by Communist ideas of right and wrong would be just as bad. For us to embrace the methods and morals of communism in order to defeat Communist aggression would be a moral disaster worse than any physical catastrophe. If that should come to pass, then the Constitution and the Declaration would be utterly dead and what we are doing today would be the gloomiest burial in the history of the world.”
~ Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States (D-MO, a Southern Baptist and card-carrying member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who advocated Civil Rights), from his address at the National Archives dedicating a shrine for the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights; December 15, 1952

Editorial Sketch(es) of the Week: Football & Obama

2012-01-07T20:05:00.000-06:00

It was difficult to pick just one:

Iconic Shot: Their potential was evident even then

2012-01-06T20:42:00.000-06:00

c/o Van Halen News Desk, original source unknown

Last night Van Halen played a warm-up gig at Café Wha? in New York’s West Village in lieu of their upcoming 45-city tour to support “A Different Kind of Truth,” the band’s first album since 1998 and their first with legendary frontman David Lee Roth in 27 years.

Reminiscent of my September 9 post that also featured these four lads from Pasadena, the shot featured above was taken in 1978 during a promotional appearance for Van Halen’s debut album. Their eponymous release eventually went diamond (domestic sales of 10 million+) and would set the tone for an additional five groundbreaking albums with DLR at the helm before he parted ways with the group under questionable circumstances in 1985.

Although bassist/co-founding member Michael Anthony has been out of the band since the end of the ’04 reunion tour with Sammy Hagar (replaced two years later by Eddie’s son, Wolfgang), fans by all accounts seem more than satisfied – downright giddy in some cases – to see this otherwise “original” lineup return to the road once again with a new album set for release next month.

Considering the present state of the genre’ – AC/DC and Metallica notwithstanding – a return to form by one of the greatest of all Rock bands is both highly anticipated and long overdue.

Still-shot, borrowed respectfully, from the online promo for their upcoming tour.

Just sayin'

2012-01-05T20:14:00.000-06:00

Original source unknown

Did You Know (or Care): The pre- and post-Paterno era

2012-01-04T20:44:00.000-06:00

c/o Kristin

Penn State was recently defeated by Houston in the TicketCity Bowl, 30-14. It was the Nittany Lions’ first bowl game without longtime head coach Joe Paterno in a nearly a half-century. Such an unprecedented run got me curious about Penn State’s last postseason appearance without the legendary “Joe Pa” at the helm. What I found damn-near brought a tear to my eye.

The 1962 Gator Bowl (played on December 29 in Jacksonville, Florida) pitted Penn State against the Florida Gators. Led by head coach Charles “Rip” Engle, the Nittany Lions – ranked #9 nationally and winners of nine out of 10 games – were openly disappointed to be playing a second tier bowl game against a team that had struggled to a mediocre 6-4 record.

Feeling slighted by these ruffians from way up north, the Gators responded by placing a Confederate Battle Flag decal on the side of their helmets. The Lions reportedly mocked the sentiment before kickoff, but they were whistlin’ Dixie afterward. The heavy underdog Gators defeated Penn State, 17-7.

Coach Engle steered the Lions for 16 seasons, leading PSU to a respectable 104-48-4 record during his tenure. His retirement in 1965 led to the promotion of a young assistant who ultimately earned two national championships (should’ve been three) and victories in 24 bowl games en route to setting the all-time wins record on the highest level of college football.

Paterno’s departure may have been tenuous at best. But his legend is incontestably permanent.

Sources: The Helmet Project & The Florida Times-Union

Real Music: Wild Flower

2012-01-03T08:36:00.001-06:00

The Cult have proven themselves as one of the UK's finest, and most underrated, Rock exports since the group's founding in 1983. Just as their acclaimed third studio release, Electric (produced by Rick Rubin), remains a vintage example of the genre' at its most dynamic, frontman Ian Astbury's performance on vocals further cemented the group's infectious trademark sound for which they will always be known.

This song represents all that is right about Rock 'n' Roll. Have a listen.

Sunday’s Quote: Thoughts for the New Year

2012-01-01T20:08:00.000-06:00

c/o Red Dog Report

A friendly acquaintance named René recently posted the following on Facebook:

I’m a RACIST for criticizing Obama. I’m a TERRORIST because I’m not afraid to stand up for what's right. I'm a TEA-BAGGER for supporting the Constitution. I’m a TROUBLEMAKER for asking unanswered questions. I’m a TRAITOR for blowing the whistle on my corrupt government. I’m a CONSPIRACY THEORIST for presenting documented facts. . . . I’m ANTI-AMERICAN for supporting Constitutionalists. Yep, GUILTY! Are U Guilty Too?

Food for thought indeed. And make no mistake, this is the year we need to turn it all around. Consider those who came before us.

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“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”
~ The original motto intended for the reverse side of The Great Seal of the United States. Although largely attributed to polymath and all-around icon Benjamin Franklin, the committee (formed on July 4, 1776) was also made up by fellow Founders John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The Great Seal itself would not be finalized until 1782.

“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
~ John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress and holder of perhaps the world’s most famous signature; from History of the United States of America, Vol. II by Henry Adams [1921], p. 229

“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God. What a Eutopia [sic], what a Paradise would this region be.”
~ John Adams, a Founding Father, the second President and first Vice President of the United States; from Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III [1782-1804], p. 9

Mini-break

2011-12-27T04:45:00.001-06:00

I got money for Christmas. My laptop got a little virus for Christmas, a gift presumably from a Satanic minion who didn't approve of my third annual holiday post. Although far from devastating (keep yo' anti-virus updated y'all), I've decided a brief hiatus to regroup and recharge is in order so I can hit 2012 squarely in the mouth.

Thanks for the comments, emails and visits to my little corner of the Internet-connected world. I'll return in about a week. Cheers.

What part of CHRISTmas do you not understand?

2011-12-25T07:58:00.000-06:00

c/o Credo House Ministries

Instead of the usual Sunday’s Quote, I’ve opted to republish the same piece I’ve posted on this day for each of the past three years. . .

I could bloviate about those who seek to eliminate any trace of Christianity – or at least, the authentic criterion thereof – from the national landscape, just as I could reference any number of acts committed by the secular Left in the name of “separation of church and state” as if the phrase was pulled from the Constitution itself. But I will resist.

I could foil the pugilist with a comprehensive assessment, almost pretentious in length, regarding “separation of church. . .” (among other things) from Supreme Court decisions that were taken from their originally intended context to endorse a “progressive” disposition that concedes to practically anything but Christendom. Yet I will abstain.

Eschatology of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant creeds warn the Believer about agreeable-sounding pontificators who employ abstract reasoning fused with arguments that take aim (in the seemingly nicest possible way) at the very axioms they hold most sacred; a ploy most commonly achieved by admonishing the born-again, yet inattentive adherent to yield to every outlandish form of pluralism for the sake, and in the name of, tolerance.

Even more, far too many Christians have become more consumed with what's “cool” instead of keeping their focus upon what is right (something to which I can truly relate), essentially abandoning the substance of their beliefs – and thus, depreciating the sacrifices made by those who came before us – because they became fearful of false characterizations by a faction that unabashedly hates the Truth for which we are called to give our lives if necessary.

I’m beating this war drum because of a slowly growing entente that abates the less passionate into submission with half-truths, platitudes, and double standards while laboring to dilute, or redefine, our long-established values that are almost entirely based upon the Holy Scriptures. And thus it may not be much longer before opposing the coalition of enlightened, altruistic, open-minded sojourners of egalitarianism will be deemed a “hate crime.”

So say Merry Christmas while you still can. The clock is ticking.

A warm fire and something to ponder

2011-12-24T09:43:00.000-06:00

Editorial Sketch of the Week: If the Nation could sit on Santa’s lap. . .

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Vintage ‘bama fans

2011-12-20T20:52:00.001-06:00

Here’s an exhibition of a little too much school spirit, including the requisite Bear Bryant houndstooth tribute – typical among the Tuscaloosa faithful. Love the stripper heels, by the way.

c/o Losers With Socks

Sunday’s Quote: O’ the value of obscure sources

2011-12-18T23:42:00.000-06:00

Note: Don’t bother reading if you’re of any Left-leaning orientation, as the following will almost certainly result in a convulsion.

I recently stumbled across a treasure trove of books I didn’t know were in my possession. By chance I turned to the epilogue of the first one I picked up, saw a 60-year-old picture of Ronald Reagan, and read a tribute that reflects the central thesis of what made our country special while validating how far the entertainment industry has fallen from the beaten path.

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“The American image is still one that celebrates freedom, space, and opportunity. It turns sour, as it has in contemporary films, when those virtues are denied or perverted. Today’s Hollywood is quick to exploit the sourness, the disillusion, and the cynicism, but for all that Americans still like to think of themselves in terms of John Wayne. Wayne took a rapping from youngsters in the seventies, but as those youngsters have grown older they tend to share the regret that the Duke is gone. The mood of America as it entered the eighties was markedly conservative.

“The election of Ronald Reagan to the highest office in the land is an affirmation of the American return to conservatism. Reagan himself was of the generation of the Hollywood macho giants. He came from that age of American innocence in which a man could make it on his way – without government help or hindrance, by God! Reagan was well in line with the good old American image. He came from a working family, worked his way through college, excelled at football, got a job as a sports announcer in small-time radio, and worked his way up. . . .

“What could be more American? The story of Ronald Reagan is itself like a Hollywood movie of the Golden Age. The fact that the American public elected him is strong evidence of an almost desperate yearning for the images of the American past. The fact that such a yearning exists gives hope that all is not lost. The Spirit of ’76 may be battered, but it is not moribund.”
– from Hollywood and the American Image [1981] by Tony Thomas

Editorial Sketch of the Week: “Progressives,” then and now

2011-12-17T08:11:00.001-06:00

On This Day in History

2011-12-15T20:58:00.000-06:00

c/o Library of Congress

AD 37 – Nero, fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire, was born in present-day Anzio, Italy. Known for a reign filled with excessiveness and despotism, Nero is also noted for seemingly countless executions, including those of his mother, his stepbrother, and many of the early Christians against whom he placed blame for the Great Fire of Rome. With assassination all but imminent, Nero committed suicide in AD 68, bringing the 54-year rule of Julio-Claudian dynasty to an end.

1791 – Authored and introduced to the 1st United States Congress by James Madison as the limitations on our government in regard to personal liberties, the first 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution (better known as the Bill of Rights, pictured) became law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly, providing the three-fourths needed by the States to make it official.

1939 – Gone with the Wind premiered at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The film earned 10 Academy Awards (a record that stood for 20 years) and is ranked sixth in the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Best American Films of All Time. It was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1989.

1966 – Walt Disney died in Burbank, California 10 days after his 65th birthday.

1973 – Facing pressure from members of the Gay Liberation Front and psychiatrist/gay rights activist Ronald Bayer, among others, the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association voted 13-0 to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The APA, for the record, has been criticized (more than once) for employing an inferior diagnostic process in lieu of a more unempirical structure that elevates the opinions of the prominent few. Author and psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser has referred to the DSM as “phony diagnostic categories,” arguing that “it was developed to help psychiatrists . . . make money.”

2001 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa was reopened to the public after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous slant (3.97 degrees, or 3.9 meters). Engineers expect the nearly 700-year-old freestanding bell tower to remain stable for another 200 years.

2005 – The parliament of Latvia (northeast Europe) amended its national constitution with Article 110, formally eliminating same-sex couples from being entitled to marry and adopt.

Information initially obtained from Wikipedia; confirmed and revised (when necessary) through various sources.

Just Thinking Out Loud: Coherent misanthrope

2011-12-15T08:14:00.000-06:00

While taking inventory of my interpersonal experiences over the past decade or so, I have concluded that far too many have been a lot like this. . .

The Iron Lady speaks

2011-12-13T08:47:00.000-06:00

The UK’s first (and still only) female Prime Minister arrived in 1979 determined to reverse a “precipitous national decline” similar to the one encroaching our nation today. And she succeeded. So take a moment to observe the manner and conviction in which The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher responded to the opposition during her final Q&A in the British House of Commons on November 22, 1990 – and then consider how these brief exchanges compare to the debate raging here in America today.

“Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”
– Margaret Thatcher; May 4, 1979

Sunday’s Quote: The Founders speak to us still

2011-12-11T21:58:00.001-06:00

Many among the Left – American Atheists and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, for example – have mastered the art of taking the Founders out of context. Off-base references to Madison’s Remonstrance is a perfect example. Yet they tend to leave out the portion below.

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“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government [sic]; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
– James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution” and fourth President of the United States, from A Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments; June 20, 1785

Picture credit: James Madison University

Editorial Sketch of the Week: The Fairness Doctrine, ver. 2.0

2011-12-11T21:51:00.001-06:00

Here’s the bottom line when Obama talks about “fairness” – something he will do at length (ad nauseam) over the next 10-11 months.

Iconic Shot: Still the Kings

2011-12-09T20:42:00.001-06:00

Metallica recently observed their 30-year anniversary as one of the heaviest Rock/Metal groups ever to break into the mainstream. The picture below, shot in the Yucca Corridor of Los Angeles, was taken amid the earliest days of the “Black Album” era just as they hit a level of international success which, 20 years later, shows no sign of fading.

While the genre they epitomize presently lounges in a state of disarray, we can always expect Hetfield & Co. to set the standard by which all others will be judged.

From disheartened to righteously fortified

2011-12-07T21:00:00.001-06:00

About two years ago, not long after his infamous bow to Emperor Akihito, a Japanese reporter asked President Obama if the U.S. was right for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

That's an interesting (read: loaded) question. Let’s review.

In an attack that was intended to intimidate the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire was planning against Europe, and ultimately the United States, Japanese aircraft carriers launched over 350 fighters, bombers and torpedo planes on the morning of December 7, 1941 in an assault on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that was nothing short of devastating.

In all, the Japanese smashed, wrecked and demolished three cruisers, three destroyers and 188 aircraft. All eight battleships docked at Pearl Harbor were also damaged, half of which were sunk. Six of the eight, however, were raised (when necessary), repaired and returned to service during the War. Yet the greatest cost was paid in blood, as 1,282 Americans were wounded and 2,402 of our finest were killed.

Instead of ducking the aggressor, we knuckled up. FDR informed the Allied powers that America was officially all-in. The Stars and Stripes jumped into the fire, kicked more than our share of Axis ass (at no small cost by any measure) and led the drive to bring this worldwide struggle to an end nearly four brutal years later, sending Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan to the guillotine.

I don’t exactly recall how Obama responded to the reporter. I’m sure our President – who’s developed a reputation for apologizing on behalf of the nation he represents – offered an answer that was both nice and diplomatic. But for those who feel such questions and apologies have become redundant, it seems the American response to the events that occurred 70 years ago today require no justification at all.

Picture credit: The battleship U.S.S. West Virginia is engulfed in flames after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago today; c/o The National Archives via AFP/Getty Images and USA Today

E/C’s College Football Top 10, Week 14

2011-12-05T21:08:00.001-06:00

Louisiana State demonstrated why they are the top ranked team in the nation once again with a second half surge against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game that buried any hope for an upset. The Tigers’ interdivision rivals from Tuscaloosa are the only ones who stand a chance to stop this freight train. But the next time these two teams get together, on January 9, it will be in New Orleans. And it’s difficult at this point to imagine LSU getting beat in their backyard. Advantage: Bayou Bengals.

Among the rest, Virginia Tech – possibly the weakest third-ranked team in history – got exposed by Clemson for the second time in the ACC title game. Houston, despite the Cougars’ first 12-win season ever, lost by three touchdowns in Conference USA title game to Southern Mississippi. They fall from the Top 10 as a result and are replaced by Wisconsin and Kansas State.

LSU, of course, are your regular season champions. The final Top 10 will be released the day after 'bama/LSU go final.

1. Louisiana State (def. Georgia. 42-10), 13-0, 680 pts.
2. Alabama (Bye), 11-1, 605 pts.
3. Oklahoma State (def. Oklahoma, 44-10), 11-1, 570 pts.
4. Oregon (def. UCLA, 49-31), 11-2, 545 pts.
5. Stanford (Bye), 11-1, 525 pts.
6. Boise State (def. New Mexico, 45-0), 11-1, 510 pts.
7. Arkansas (Bye), 10-2, 435 pts.
8. Wisconsin (def. Michigan State, 42-39), 11-2, 425 pts.
9. Southern California (def. UCLA, 50-0), 10-2, 370 pts.
10. Kansas State (def. Iowa State, 30-23), 10-2, 335 pts.

E/C’s Heisman Ballot

1. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – 4,642 total yards, 45 TD, 192.3 QB rating [led nation]
2. Matt Barkley, QB, Southern California – 3,528 yards, 39 TD, 69.1 comp. %
3. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin – 2,014 total yards [led nation in rushing and scoring], 38 TD
4. Case Keenum, QB, Houston – 5,099 yards [led nation], 45 TD, 71.7 comp. %
5. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama – 1,910 total yards, 23 TD
6. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford – 3,170 yards, 35 TD, 70.0 comp. %
7. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon – 1,856 total yards, 18 TD
8. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State – 3,507 yards, 41 TD, 74.1 comp. %
9. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State – 4,328 yards, 34 TD, 72.6 comp. %
10. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin – 3,199 total yards, 36 TD, 10.3-to-1 TD/INT ratio [led nation]

Honorable Mentions

(listed alphabetically)

David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State – 11 interceptions [led nation]
Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State – 1,336 yards, 15 TD
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson – 3,764 total yards, 36 TD
Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois – 2,942 passing yards, 1,234 rushing yards, 36 TD
Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State – 1,877 total yards, 20 TD
Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College - 191 tackles [led nation for second consecutive season]
Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois – 14.5 QB sacks [led nation]
Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State – 1,431 total yards, 25 TD
Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor – 1,572 yards, 13 TD

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu celebrates upon earning MVP honors after the Tigers’ 42-10 victory over Georgia in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Despite the media attention he receives as the leader of a daunting smash-mouth defense, it seems that Mathieu’s status as a Heisman contender is, at least, debatable.

His 71 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions were complimented by a nation-leading 12.7 yards per punt return (92-yard long, 2 TD). Yet it also seems that his catchy “Honey Badger” nickname has kept Mathieu in the press as much as his on-field performance. Some are easily swayed by the media, but not I. The "Badger" is rock solid, but the true Sophomore is not quite Heisman worthy.

Sunday's Quote: From one Founder to another

2011-12-04T23:50:00.001-06:00

c/o Encyclopedia Virginia

The Founders are referenced with increasing regularity on this blog because time has proven them more honorable, stalwart and wise than the majority of those who lead us today. Thus, if some socialist-friendly liberal ever attempts to lecture you about what the Founders meant, perhaps throwing this back at him/her will be of some assistance.

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“The selfishness and corruption of Europe I have no doubt about, and therefore wish most sincerely that our free Republics may not suffer themselves to be changed and wrongly wrought upon by the corrupt maxims of policy that pervade European Councils--where artful and refined plausibility is forever called in to aid the most pernicious designs. It would seem as if there were a general jealosy [sic] beyond the water, of the powerful effects to be derived from Republican virtue here, and so we hear a constant cry from thence, echoed & reechoed here by all Expectants from the Treasury of the United States--That Congress must have more power--That we cannot be secure & happy until Congress command implicitly both purse & sword.

“So that our confederation must be perpetually changing to answer sinister views in the greater part, until every fence is thrown down that was designed to protect & cover the rights of Mankind. It is a melancholy consideration that many wise & good men have, some how [sic] or other, fallen in with these ruinous opinions. I think Sir that the first maxim of a man who loves liberty should be, never to grant to Rulers an atom of power that is not most clearly & indispensably necessary for the safety and well being [sic] of Society. To say that these Rulers are revocable, and holding their places during pleasure may not be supposed to design evil for self-aggrandizement, is affirming what I cannot easily admit. Look to history and see how often the liberties of mankind have been oppressed & ruined by the same delusive hopes & fallacious reasoning. The fact is, that power poisons the mind of its possessor and aids him to remove the shackles that restrain itself.”
– Richard Henry Lee, from a letter to Samuel Adams; March 14, 1785

Perhaps better known as Robert E. Lee’s great uncle, R.H. Lee was both a signer of the Articles of Confederation and the author of the Lee Resolution, by which the Second Continental Congress declared the Colonies to be independent of the British Empire. In fact the initial drive towards independence was led by an alliance known as the “Adams-Lee Junto.”

Editorial Sketch of the Week: They deserve no better

2011-12-04T02:15:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, students at the University of California, Davis (15 miles west of Sacramento) participated in the Occupy madness in a way that eventually forced the local authorities to throttle the demonstrators with a generous helping of pepper spray. Soon after, the officer who led the charge – perhaps the result of his nonchalant assertiveness – became an unwitting caricature for an array of pop culture references. Here’s one of the most appropriate examples.

Just Thinking Out Loud: The 51st State

2011-12-01T20:48:00.001-06:00

Photo by Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press, c/o Examiner

By what legitimate standard, lawful or ethical, are the citizens of this country obligated to approve of an illegal alien population spread throughout our sovereign Republic presently comparable to the size of Pennsylvania?

It’s all about portion control

2011-11-30T21:18:00.001-06:00

Just when becoming a vegetarian seemed almost plausible. . .

Original source unknown

Did You Know (or Care): From thriving to surviving

2011-11-29T20:13:00.001-06:00

Various sources arrive at slightly differing conclusions. The figures below are somewhere between approximate and exact. Feel free to compare your numbers to mine.

Since Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20, 2009, our national debt has swelled by just over $4.4 trillion – virtually the entire amount it rose during George W. Bush’s eight years in office. That’s an average increase of more than $4.24 billion per day since Obama took the presidential oath, which suffice it to say, is the majority reason for the 239% upsurge of this behemoth liability since the turn of this still young century.

On a more parenthetical note, who is our 44th President to call anyone “soft”? Perhaps no candidate ever benefitted more from such soft handling (by the press and media at large) than Obama during his “historic” run to the White House.

You’re not what most people wanted you to be, Mr. President. And nothing you do over the next year will erase your performance over the previous three.

E/C’s College Football Top 10, Week 13

2011-11-28T19:56:00.001-06:00

The regular season is just about over. This much is indisputably clear: Louisiana State is the #1 team in the nation. Alabama is barely half a notch below them. And everything else at this point is practically inconsequential.

Oklahoma had a respectable win against bowl-bound Iowa State, but it wasn’t enough to keep them ranked in this illustrious poll. USC replaces the Sooners by virtue of the (ineligible) Trojans’ 50-point shutout over rival UCLA.

1. Louisiana State (def. Arkansas, 41-17), 12-0, 675 pts.
2. Alabama (def. Auburn, 42-14), 11-1, 610 pts.
3. Virginia Tech (def. Virginia, 38-0), 11-1, 560 pts.
4. Stanford (def. Notre Dame, 28-14), 11-1, 555 pts.
5. Houston (def. Tulsa, 48-16), 12-0, 535 pts.
6. Oregon (def. Oregon State, 49-21), 10-2, 500 pts.
7. Oklahoma State (Bye), 10-1, 445 pts.
8. Boise State (def. Wyoming, 36-14), 10-1, 415 pts.
9. Arkansas (lost to LSU, 41-17), 10-2, 355 pts.
10. Southern California (def. UCLA, 50-0), 10-2, 350 pts.

Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The University of Georgia’s Ben Jones (left) and Brandon Boykin celebrate winning the 103rd installment of “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” over traditional rival Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday in Atlanta. While both players will be playing on Sundays next year, the juggernaut that awaits them five days from now – same city, different team – will be a bit more challenging.

Sunday's Quote: As our heritage erodes. . .

2011-11-27T23:41:00.001-06:00

The Founders of our Nation were mostly Christian. Those who have sought to maintain the establishing principles responsible for developing our country were, and remain, mostly Christian as well. A mandate to endorse and defend such philosophical values is more than implied. It is also necessitated amid this era of inclusivity that has provided an asylum for those who conform to an opposing set of standards that are unambiguously dissimilar from that which distinguishes America from all the rest. Yet concessions (in the name of tolerance) are rapidly becoming the norm. Case in point –

In an effort to embrace all "Earth-based" religions, a Stonehenge-like worship center has been built at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs that serves as a de facto place of worship for this year's 10 Hindu, 11 Muslim, 16 Buddhist and 43 atheist cadets among the 4,300 enrollees. The reason: "We're here to accommodate all religions, period," says Chaplain Maj. Darren Duncan, branch chief of cadet faith communities at the academy.

Major Duncan’s limp-wristed statement, however altruistic, signals a continued shift away from the convictions of the majority, as neither Freedom of Religion, nor the First Amendment, were ever intended to make more room than necessary for those who play by a different set of rules.

Our first President sets the record straight:

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“I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens of the United States at large; and, particularly, for their brethren who have served in the Geld; and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific [sic] temper of the mind, which were the characteristicks [sic] of the divine Author of our blessed religion; without a humble imitation of whose example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.”
– from George Washington’s Circular Letter to States; June 8, 1783

Picture credit: "George Washington at Valley Forge" by Joseph Christian Leyendecker; featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, February 23, 1935

Editorial Sketch of the Week: Fantasy vs. Reality

2011-11-26T23:51:00.001-06:00

Just Thinking Out Loud: Chicks, man

2011-11-25T21:08:00.001-06:00

c/o Zelzee

I’ve yet to spend time in a woman’s shower that didn’t have at least four different kinds of shampoo. I’ve also yet to receive a straight answer about why. So I stopped asking.

Everlastingly indebted

2011-11-24T07:41:00.001-06:00

Norse explorer Leif Ericson (a.k.a. Leiv Eiriksson) landed in the Americas at the turn of the 11th century. Christopher Columbus arrived 519 years ago. The Pilgrims dropped anchor in Jamestown 115 years later. Their descendants, and the other Europeans who followed, were the harbingers of what would become the greatest of all nations.

Praising such individuals has, in recent years, become politically incorrect. Yet they are why we are here, and their example is why the United States became a repository for liberties that billions around the world will never have the opportunity to embrace. That much is factually correct. Thus I will always be grateful for those who laid the foundation upon which I now stand.

Picture credit: "Freedom from Want," from the March 6, 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post; © Norman Rockwell, via his Four Freedoms series

Valid, however politically incorrect

2011-11-22T06:35:00.001-06:00

TEC's College Football Top 10, Week 12

2011-11-21T20:58:00.001-06:00

The top three teams in the land not only reside in the same conference, but they are interdivision rivals as well. Unexpected losses two days ago by Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma made it possible for Louisiana State, Alabama and Arkansas to now comprise the first three spots in every possible ranking. Such an unparalleled feat could only be accomplished in the Southeastern Conference, from which the last five national champions have hailed. It’s barely surprising anymore.

As for the rest of the contenders, it’s complicated.

The Sooners and Ducks suffered respectable defeats to quality opponents – Baylor and Southern California respectively. The once second-ranked Cowboys, in contrast, were slayed by an underachieving Iowa State team that has earned its giant killer reputation. Thus all three hang on to remain in the Top 10, as their potential replacements have yet to garner enough consideration to be placed among the national elite.

Clemson’s 24-point loss to lowly North Carolina State knocks the Tigers from the Top 10 for a second time. They are replaced by Boise State, who make their second appearance in the upper tier. Perhaps most suspect however is Virginia Tech, who rises to #4 practically by default. A comparatively weak schedule has allowed the Hokies to fly under the radar all season. Yet their less-than-dominant performance against largely substandard competition will most likely keep them from going any higher.

1. Louisiana State (def. Ole Miss, 52-3), 11-0, 665 pts.
2. Alabama (def. Georgia Southern, 45-21), 10-1, 600 pts.
3. Arkansas (def. Mississippi State, 44-17), 10-1, 580 pts.
4. Virginia Tech (def. North Carolina, 24-21), 10-1, 545 pts.
5. Stanford (def. Cal-Berkeley, 31-28), 10-1, 535 pts.
6. Houston (def. Southern Methodist, 37-7), 11-0, 500 pts.
7. Oregon (lost to Southern California, 38-35), 9-2, 465 pts.
8. Oklahoma State (lost to Iowa State, 37-31 in 2 OT), 10-1, 405 pts.
9. Boise State (def. San Diego State, 52-35), 9-1, 370 pts.
10. Oklahoma (lost to Baylor, 45-38), 8-2, 335 pts.

Louisiana State head coach Les Miles sings the school fight song with his players after defeating Ole Miss in Oxford, 52-3. The Tigers simply look unbeatable. Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Sunday's Quote: Frank tells it like it is

2011-11-20T23:58:00.001-06:00

c/o The Reformed Broker

Most people understand why the Occupy protests started, but I'm guessing relatively few empathize with what these hordes deviated into almost overnight. Say what you want about the Tea Party, but not a soul was ever assaulted, raped, or arrested at any of their events. Violence never ensued, nothing was destroyed, drug paraphernalia was never discovered, and the riot police were not called because their presence was unnecessary. Such threats were never even plausible, and therein lies perhaps the biggest difference between us and them.

A couple of weeks ago, famed comic book artist, writer, and film director Frank Miller wrote a crushing 284-word denunciation of the "Occupy" movement. His words were so profound, so spot-on, I'm not altogether certain that my own blog is even worthy to feature Miller's words.

So intead, for the first time and out of total respect, I will simply provide a link to his site and you can take a look for yourself here. Enjoy.

271 days from now. . .

2011-11-20T07:13:00.001-06:00

Having grossed more than a quarter-billion dollars upon release last year, the sequel to The Expendables will debut at the end of next summer. Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis are set to reprise their roles from the first movie, while Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme have been added to the mix for the second film.

To borrow from another movie – there will be blood.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: Dems, then and now

2011-11-19T20:06:00.001-06:00

© Gary Varvel, Indianapolis Star
2 Corinthians 3:17 ("Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty") has been part of the daily newspaper’s masthead for 108 years.

The contrast is noteworthy

2011-11-18T18:30:00.001-06:00

Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Charles, Prince of Wales pose with the natives after they are given a traditional Maasi greeting during a November 9 visit to the Arusha region of Tanzania in southeast Africa. The Prince and Duchess were at the end of their four-day tour after an earlier stay in South Africa to promote social and environmental issues.

Some cartoons that recently caught my attention (for all the right reasons)

2011-11-16T21:08:00.001-06:00

"Beastie," then and now

2011-11-16T20:58:00.001-06:00

The picture above is a somewhat grainy still shot taken by yours truly, without permission, at exactly the 23-minute mark of a short film released by The Beastie Boys earlier this year called "Fight For Your Right (Revisted)," the premise of which is based upon the legendary hip-hop trio causing a ruckus through the streets of New York City during the early days of their initial mainstream success, circa 1986.

Toward the end of their path of destruction, they end up meeting themselves 25 years into the future – whereupon their past selves (played by Elijah Wood, Seth Rogen and Danny McBride) and their present/future selves (played by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly) proceed to urinate on each other, quite relentlessly, for what seems like hours.

The satirical take on their existence as a group may, or may not, be worth a look if you get a chance.

TEC's College Football Top 10, Week 11

2011-11-14T21:13:00.001-06:00

"Baseball is what we were. Football is what we have become."
– Mary McGrory (1918–2004), journalist and columnist for The Washington Post who probably wasn't paying homage to the game that has possibly replaced baseball as our new American pastime.

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The Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins is right: 2011 has been the most scandal-plagued year in college football history. What began with the conference realignment shuffle/multi-billion-dollar money grab has culminated with a mélange of far-reaching controversies at benchmark institutions such as North Carolina, Ohio State, Miami (FL) and now Penn State from which there appears no end in sight. Yet the irony is found in how the sport only continues to flourish.

College football and the NFL are a conjoined juggernaut that remains unscathed by even the most salacious state of affairs. In fact the world class athletic paradigms central to the sport itself are tolerated because perhaps nothing is more genuinely American than dressing up like a modern day Roman legion and acting the part of the ultimate alpha male, thus allowing the average person to share vicariously in the illusion of being large, strong, tough, famous, wealthy and practically untouchable.

Such age-old fascinations played a considerable role in establishing our country as the nation by which all others are judged. It is a permanent part of our cultural landscape. Consequently the ethos from which scandals of every imaginable sort has become the acceptable norm will likely never change, either.

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Stanford's loss to the burgeoning Oregon Ducks costs the Cardinal their #2 ranking, but hang on to remain in the Top 10. The same cannot be said for Boise State, whose surprising loss to resurgent Texas Christian has the Broncos on the outside looking in for the first time this season.

In addition Virginia Tech's victory over nationally ranked Georgia Tech all but clinches a rematch with Clemson – who handed the Hokies their only defeat – for the ACC championship on December 3.

1. Louisiana State (def. Western Kentucky, 42-9), 10-0, 640 pts.
2. Oklahoma State (def. Texas Tech, 66-6), 10-0, 610 pts.
3. Alabama (def. Mississippi State, 24-7), 9-1, 585 pts.
4. Oregon (def. Stanford, 53-30), 9-1, 575 pts.
5. Oklahoma (Bye), 8-1, 545 pts.
6. Arkansas (def. Tennessee, 49-7), 9-1, 520 pts.
7. Virginia Tech (def. Georgia Tech, 37-26), 9-1, 455 pts.
8. Stanford (lost to Oregon, 53-30), 9-1, 405 pts.
9. Clemson (def. Wake Forest, 31-28), 9-1, 350 pts.
10. Houston (def. Tulane, 73-17), 10-0, 315 pts.

Players and coaches from Penn State and Nebraska met at midfield to pray before the start of the game in State College, PA. Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Penn State cheerleaders embrace on the last play of the game against Nebraska. JoePa’s boys lost, 17-14. Things in Happy Valley may not ever be the same. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Sunday's Quote: Abuse

2011-11-13T23:58:00.001-06:00

Exploitation comes in many forms. While the repeated acts of pedophilia (reportedly) committed by a former longtime assistant to a college football coaching legend has reminded us yet again about the various and unconscionable methods of predatory behavior, it is perhaps easier to overlook the more subtle means of ill-treatment that we often commit amongst ourselves, which is furthermore confounding when those who might be in a position to help simply refuse to see the antagonist for what he or she really is.

A comedic legend who recently bore his soul in a way that virtually no-one ever suspected added his perspective to this snowballing phenomenon of pervasive maltreatment that, in one way or another, affects us all:

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"I mean, can you imagine the desperation of a child who chooses to believe that he did this to himself, just so he doesn't have to consider the idea that his mother did it, or his parents did it? Because you know, Terry, I'll tell you something. I hope this - I don't know anything about you, but I think it's completely barbaric to shake hands with and seek help from the person who caused your injury. That will make you sick."

– Saturday Night Live alum Darrell Hammond, during the November 7, 2011 broadcast of NPR’s Fresh Air. His new book, "God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, 'Saturday Night Live' and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem," details the methodical brutality he suffered from his mother, who beat, stabbed, and tortured him for years. Consequently the 57-year-old Hammond has been in psychiatric treatment continually since age 19.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: A (belated) Veterans Day salute

2011-11-12T23:20:00.001-06:00

Iconic Shot: The King & Ali

2011-11-11T20:38:00.001-06:00

I don't believe in self-given monikers. Whereas fans were responsible for christening Elvis as "The King," it was the man formerly known as Cassius Clay who was only too happy to inform the world that he was "The Greatest" of his chosen profession. However debatable Ali's status in boxing lore – welterweight and middleweight powerhouse "Sugar" Ray Robinson (173-19-6, 108 KO) is the pound-for-pound greatest – the historical merit of the picture below presents a rare meeting of pop culture royalty that far exceeds the dislikable figureheads enthroned today.

In addition, Elvis was a legit karate black belt. First exposed to the art while stationed in Europe during his time in the Army, Presley earned his first degree {Shodan} rank in March 1960 from a Chitō-ryu instructor (and a very interesting fellow) named Henry Slomanski. In an actual head-to-head versus Muhammad Ali, "The King" would have held his own quite well.

Original source unknown, c/o Julien's Auctions

Cinema trailer narrative

2011-11-10T20:43:00.001-06:00

In a stroke of pure genius, Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher (BriTANicK) have cracked the code that's employed in every preview you've ever seen on television or at the movies. Have a look at their humorous take:

I've always liked cats

2011-11-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

A couple of pics featured recently on The Chive:

TEC's College Football Top 10, Week 10

2011-11-07T20:59:00.000-06:00

In a game that featured at least 15 first and second round NFL prospects on defense alone, Louisiana State proved its mettle beyond any question by edging the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night. The battle wasn’t quite what most expected, as the impact of four missed field goals and a 73-yard punt essentially decided the game. Yet the talent and tenacity exhibited by each squad on that pleasant autumn evening in the Heart of Dixie will be remembered (and discussed) for decades to come. And don't be surprised if these two end up matched in the BCS title game in January. It's a stretch, but far from impossible.

Nebraska drops from the Top 10 in lieu of their unexpected loss at home to sub-.500 Northwestern. Undefeated Houston, one of two Conference USA teams ranked in the national top 25 (two more than the Big East), moves into the Top 10 as a result.

1. Louisiana State (def. Alabama, 9-6 in OT), 9-0, 650 pts.
2. Stanford (def. Oregon State, 38-13), 9-0, 600 pts.
3. Oklahoma State (def. Kansas State, 52-45), 9-0, 590 pts.
4. Boise State (def. UNLV, 48-21), 8-0, 575 pts.
5. Alabama (lost to LSU, 9-6 in OT), 8-1, 545 pts.
6. Oregon (def. Washington, 34-17), 8-1, 510 pts.
7. Oklahoma (def. Texas A&M, 41-25), 8-1, 465 pts,
8. Arkansas (def. South Carolina, 44-28), 8-1, 405 pts.
9. Virginia Tech (Bye), 8-1, 350 pts.
10. Houston (def. UAB, 56-13), 9-0, 310 pts.

Drew Alleman (#30) of LSU celebrates with his teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat Alabama, 9-6. All future opponents beware: the Tigers look unbeatable. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Sunday's Quote: Chesterton on government

2011-11-06T23:57:00.000-06:00

c/o Catholic Authors

There's a lot of talk about how our federal system should function. Here's one of the all-time greats to break it down for us:

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"AN honest man falls in love with an honest woman; he wishes, therefore, to marry her, to be the father of her children, to secure her and himself. All systems of government should be tested by whether he can do this.

"If any system – feudal, servile, or barbaric – does, in fact, give him so large a cabbage-field that he can do it, there is the essence of liberty and justice. If any system – Republican, mercantile, or Eugenist – does, in fact, give him so small a salary that he can’t do it, there is the essence of eternal tyranny and shame."
– from Chesterton's March 25, 1911 contribution to The Illustrated London News. The ILN, for the record, was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper. Launched in 1842, it folded in 2003 after 161 years in print.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: When millionaires collide

2011-11-06T13:10:00.000-06:00

Did You Know (or Care): Trusting your gut

2011-11-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

c/o Exclaim

Even those who have reached the pinnacle of success can make the most inexplicably wrongheaded decisions regardless of how evident the right choice might seem. Such is the case acknowledged recently by one of the foremost luminaries of the Rock/Metal genre.

As the story goes, über movie director Quentin Tarantino approached Metallica co-founder Lars Ulrich some 10 years ago with the intention of featuring a couple of songs from Metallica's eponymous fifth album for a movie he was writing called Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

According to Ulrich, the cinema maven ". . .had written and choreographed the two main fight scenes in the film to the Metallica songs 'Enter Sandman' and 'Sad but True'. Fists would impact faces on accents. Kicks would land on cymbal hits. Bodies would twirl along with the rhythm of the music. Tarantino's next-level movie magic married to Metallica music, all turned up to 11."

The mind of your average red-blooded American male immediately twists with the imagery of what could have been, as the mishmash of an extraordinarily violent movie set to the rhythm and melodies of perhaps the heaviest mainstream band of its era invokes the unavoidable contemplations of that which could have been even greater than it ultimately was.

Ulrich continued: "Page by page, I realized that most of this was written in a language that was outside of my realm of understanding. I had never encountered a narrative like this, set in, to me, a very foreign culture of martial arts and Asian myths. I just couldn’t wrap my thick Danish head around it. . . . Over the next few weeks the whole thing fizzled out as I continued not trusting my instincts. In the end, I never got back to him. Probably the single biggest mistake I've made in the creative department."

One might contend that Metallica's recent off-putting collaboration with former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has proven an even greater artistic gaffe. But don't feel bad for Lars. His legendary band has done just fine. And so has Tarantino, whose two Kill Bill movies combined for an impressive $332 million domestic box office take.

Go Cards!

2011-11-01T21:28:00.001-05:00

Although April 20, 2009 is the official birthday of this blog, sporadic posts from the early days were followed by a period in which my little corner of the Internet-connected world remained dormant for nearly six months. It wasn't until a story about former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant and the circumstances girdling his dispute with the NCAA all but forced me to write a little piece on November 1 of the same year from which approximately 500 more (and counting) have since followed.

Hence with today marking what I consider the second anniversary of my virtual soapbox, which has received hits from all 50 States and 73 countries (since July 2010), I find a bit of contrariety in composing another sports-themed post in observance of my two years working on this largely politics- and socially-themed blog. Thankfully, at least, it centers on a team that’s been near and dear for most of my life:

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They were 10.5 games out of the final spot in the playoffs with 32 games remaining in the brutally long season. A collapse by the frontrunner Braves seemed more than unlikely. But Tony La Russa, the Cardinals manager of 16 seasons, wouldn't let his team quit. And so the Redbirds charged.

The generally unenthusiastic appraisal about the Cardinals depth, and their bullpen more specifically, was bandied about through most of the year even after the 'birds improbable run to the playoffs became reality upon earning the last playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. And despite the doubters, they found a way to defeat the heavily favored Phillies and the division champion Brewers. Their reward: a young, feisty and powerful Texas Rangers team making its second straight appearance in the World Series.

The Cardinals were done in Game 6. They weren't just down to their last out. They were down to their last strike. Twice. But the Cards battled back, yet again, in a way that literally no other team ever has. And now, after an extraordinary seven-game series, the St. Louis Cardinals are champions of baseball for the eleventh time.

Although the Rangers are the first team to lose the World Series after initially being one out away from winning it since the '86 Red Sox, they're also the first team to make back-to-back appearances in the Fall Classic since the Yankees played in four straight (winning three) from '98-'01. The smart money says we'll be seeing the boys from Texas again in the very near future.

Such determination has become rare in the sports world, especially on the professional level. The Cardinals weren't just fun to watch. They were also inspiring. La Russa retired practically hours ago and the legendary Albert Pujols could be moving on as well, but the 2011 Cardinals will always be remembered for all the right reasons.

Happy Halloween y'all

2011-10-31T21:14:00.001-05:00

c/o Aaaaand that happened...

TEC's College Football Top 10, Week 9

2011-10-31T20:59:00.003-05:00

In lieu of this season's version of The Game of the Century, it's worth noting that former #1 Oklahoma's 41-point win over a solid Kansas State team demonstrated why the Sooners were kept in the Top 10 after their fluke loss to Texas Tech nine days ago – any momentum of which the Red Raiders tossed the very next game following a doleful 41-7 defeat to perennial doormat Iowa State. OU's shot at the national title is gone, but their status as an elite squad remains undeniable.

Michigan State drops from the ranks of the contenders thanks to a 21-point loss to Nebraska, who now reclaims their own place among in the upper tier. Clemson also fall from the Top 10 via their 14-point loss in Atlanta to unranked Georgia Tech. While Arkansas managed a win in its second straight nail-biter, their struggle to put away inferior opponents results in the Razorbacks losing a position in the rankings. Similarly, Virginia Tech is a tenuous entry into the Top 10, as their four-point win over lowly Duke makes the Hokies' game against Georgia Tech (after their upcoming by week) a chance to prove they're for real.

As for LSU/Alabama this weekend, what else can be said about the Tigers and Tide that hasn't already been said about the Super Bowl? It's gonna be huge.

1. Louisiana State (Bye), 8-0, 630 pts.
2. Alabama (Bye), 8-0, 620 pts.
3. Stanford (def. USC, 56-48 in 3 OT), 8-0, 600 pts.
4. Oklahoma State (def. Baylor, 59-24), 8-0, 575 pts.
5. Boise State (Bye), 7-0, 545 pts.
6. Oregon (def. Washington State, 43-28), 7-1, 510 pts.
7. Oklahoma (def. Kansas State, 58-17), 7-1, 455 pts.
8. Nebraska (def. Michigan State, 24-3), 7-1, 395 pts.
9. Arkansas (def. Vanderbilt, 31-28), 7-1, 350 pts.
10. Virginia Tech (def. Duke, 14-10), 8-1, 320 pts.

c/o NikkiBama

Sunday's Quote: The Founders and God

2011-10-31T00:29:00.000-05:00

Official portrait of our fourth President

Note: I missed my self-imposed deadline by just a bit. I'll be timelier in the future.

Those who painstakingly laid the foundation of what would become the greatest of all nations spoke frankly about religious tolerance. Yet the intended context of their mutual perspective, which was centered almost entirely upon the tenets of Christianity, is often overlooked, if not dismissed, by a newer breed that swears the Forefathers who authored the Constitution and all its associated doctrines had no intention of instituting God as the cornerstone of our grand republic.

Aside from the fervently irreligious, Believers are also faced with another contemporary nemesis that openly intends to employ their peculiar, if not troubling canons – proven to be the antithesis of the American core – as a means of conquering the unbelieving infidels. And just as shocking, these sanctimonious hordes now have advocates working on their behalf deep within the corridors of power.

One of our nation's finest contributed something to this conversation that remains as pertinent as when he initially spoke it 226 years ago:

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"Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governour of the Universe: And if a member of Civil Society, who enters into any subordinate Association, must always do it with a reservation of his duty to the General Authority; much more must every man who becomes a member of any particular Civil Society, do it with a saving of his allegiance to the Universal Sovereign. . . .

"Torrents of blood have been spilt in the old world, by vain attempts of the secular arm, to extinguish Religious discord, by proscribing all difference in Religious opinion. Time has at length revealed the true remedy. Every relaxation of narrow and rigorous policy, wherever it has been tried, has been found to assuage the disease. The American Theatre has exhibited proofs that equal and compleat [sic] liberty, if it does not wholly eradicate it, sufficiently destroys its malignant influence on the health and prosperity of the State.

"If with the salutary effects of this system under our own eyes, we begin to contract the bounds of Religious freedom, we know no name that will too severely reproach our folly. At least let warning be taken at the first fruits of the threatened innovation. The very appearance of the Bill has transformed "that Christian forbearance, love and charity," [Virginia Declaration of Rights, art. 16] which of late mutually prevailed, into animosities and jealousies, which may not soon be appeased."
– James Madison, in a speech to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia; June 20, 1785

Editorial Sketch(es) of the Week: Perfectly stated

2011-10-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

I couldn't single out one (for the first time), so here are four for your viewing pleasure:

They're back

2011-10-27T18:16:00.001-05:00

Beavis and Butt-head return to MTV tonight after a 15-year hiatus. Admittedly it's been a struggle to fully process this information. Rock on boys.

c/o Grizzly Bomb

Just Thinking Out Loud: End of an era?

2011-10-25T20:41:00.002-05:00

Call it a hunch, but I think the phenomenon that spawns this kind of character is now beyond its pinnacle. Somehow I believe we will be seeing less of this borderline insult to the Black community from now on.

c/o People WTF!

TEC's College Football Top 10, Week 8

2011-10-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

The last four words in the Week 7 report were "Don't doubt the Sooners." Five days later, they lost at home to then-unranked Texas Tech. While an argument can be made against their place in the upper tier, Oklahoma hangs on despite their surprising defeat to the Red Raiders. Yet the Sooners' mettle will be tested in each of the next two weeks, as Kansas State and Texas A&M – both nationally ranked – could push OU, not just further down the national rankings, but out of contention for the Big XII title as well.

Similarly, Wisconsin fall out of the top 10 thanks to a Michigan State "Hail Mary" that produced the most sensational ending all season. Hence the Spartans now hold a place among the national contenders while the Badgers find themselves on the outside looking in for the first time this year.

While Oregon jumped a couple of spots with their progressively improved play, all pales in comparison to the colossal showdown coming on November 5 between the undisputed two best teams in the land. Both the Tigers and the Tide stand to benefit from having this week off, as both squads know the next 12 days will determine the path of both SEC and national superiority.

In the arena of college football, Christmas is about to come a bit early this year.

1. Louisiana State (def. Auburn, 45-10), 8-0, 630 pts.
2. Alabama (def. Tennessee, 37-6), 8-0, 620 pts.
3. Stanford (def. Washington, 65-21), 7-0, 600 pts.
t-4. Boise State (def. Air Force, 37-26), 7-0, 560 pts.
t-4. Oklahoma State (def. Missouri, 45-24), 7-0, 560 pts.
6. Oregon (def. Colorado, 45-2), 6-1, 515 pts.
7. Clemson (def. North Carolina, 59-38), 8-0, 450 pts.
8. Arkansas (def. Ole Miss, 29-24), 6-1, 385 pts.
9. Michigan State (def. Wisconsin, 37-31), 6-1, 350 pts.
10. Oklahoma (lost to Texas Tech, 41-38), 6-1, 330 pts.

c/o MCC

It was of some consolation to hear recently about the new Ole Miss mascot being routinely jeered during home games. Indeed, for a number of years now, the Oxford faithful have made their feelings about the new university representative clear in almost total unison. While school officials are likely to stay the course no matter the opposition, one can expect loyalists who support the Rebels through thick and thin to do the same.

Sunday's Quote: A foreigner at Ole Miss

2011-10-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

It's been a year, almost to the day, since I've been back to Ole Miss. Last time, I watched helplessly as Cam Newton and the future (bastardized) national champion Auburn Tigers had their way with the Rebels. So considering that my visits to Oxford are fewer and further in between than preferred, it is nice to stumble upon a story on occasion that fully depicts the attributes of a special place that doesn't always get its just due. And perhaps most importantly, this review in particular is by an outsider who hails from the other side of the Atlantic:

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"I had been dimly aware that the American South is famous for its hospitality, but was unprepared for a level of friendliness that would have been faintly nauseating if it weren't so seductive. Wherever I went, people smiled at me with their gleaming, perfect teeth. . . . The vibe on campus was such that one could easily strike up a conversation with a stranger. At home this atmosphere had just about lasted through freshers' week; here, it lasted throughout the year. . . .

"A laid-back attitude and general reluctance to sweat the small stuff became uppermost in my daily mentality, and I can say with complete confidence that this was a boon in my academic, athletic and social college life. This is not to say that my fellow students were slobs or lazy. Manners are important in Mississippi, and at big social occasions (namely football games) I have never seen so many students in one place all trying to look smart. . . .

"I spent my time at Ole Miss in a constant slight state of disbelief that the 'American College Experience' was living up to the myth – and then some. This brings me to probably the question most asked about my spell there, put bluntly: 'Is it really racist down there?' Hollywood's interpretation of the South is not exactly glowing. While also not incorrect, it does not take the form one would expect.

"There appeared to be little or no antagonism along racial lines, only a sense of 'mutual segregation'. White guys hung out with white guys and vice versa, with little or no interracial dating. Certain uncomfortable words were thrown around drunkenly in company, which I admit I found surprising. But these encounters were fewer and farther between, however, than I had been led to believe and, all in all, I left with nothing but good things to say.

"I arrived back in an unchanged Edinburgh with a load of work to do, a Southern accent than can best many a New Yorker, a year that I will remember for ever [sic] and dozens of friends I'll stay in touch with. It's good to be home, but I can’t wait to get back."
– from "My year at the University of Mississippi" by Benjamin Cumming, published in The Telegraph; October 20, 2011

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In addition, here's a video tribute (w/ Kings of Leon providing the soundtrack) by a German fellow who also spent a year at Ole Miss. Have a look:

Editorial Sketch of the Week: Fee-income oriented

2011-10-22T07:50:00.000-05:00

I spent five years in banking, so from my perspective this was inevitable. . .

On This Day in History

2011-10-20T18:56:00.000-05:00

c/o MacArthur Memorial, via AltDaily

1803 – The U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase, acquiring 828,000 square miles originally claimed by France for less than three cents per acre (equivalent to 42 cents per acre today).

Ultimately 15 States would be carved from the area. Also of note, Napoleon Bonaparte said of the exchange, "This accession of territory affirms forever the power of the United States, and I have given England a maritime rival who sooner or later will humble her pride."

1818 – The Convention of 1818 was signed between the United States and the United Kingdom. Most importantly, Article II of the agreement established the 49th parallel as the border between the U.S. and Canada. It hasn't moved an inch after 193 years, and unlike our neighbors to the south, Canadians have no problem respecting our mutual border whatsoever.

1944 – General Douglas MacArthur (pictured) fulfilled his "I shall return" promise when the Battle of Leyte commenced in the Philippines. The Allies reclaimed the islands from the Japanese by New Year's Eve, and World War II would be decided nine months later. The good guys won.

1946 – Lewis Grizzard, a distinguished writer and humorist known for his commentary and Southern demeanor, was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was inflicted with a congenital heart defect from birth and died from complications of his fourth heart-valve surgery in 1994. "I Haven't Understood Anything Since 1962 and Other Nekkid Truths" is one of my all-time favorites.

1950 – Tom Petty, one of our finest singer-songwriters, was born in Gainesville, Florida. His music, both solo and collaborative, has sold a combined 60 million units worldwide since he debuted (with the Heartbreakers) in 1976.

1967 – A brief motion picture of an unidentified subject purported to be "Bigfoot" was filmed by two men in the Six Rivers National Forest in the northwestern-most corner of California. Known as the Patterson-Gimlin film, its veracity still remains open to debate.

1973 – Designed by acclaimed Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House opened to the public for the first time at Bennelong Point in New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, the SOH remains one of the most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centers in the world.

1977 – Just three days after the release of their fifth album, Street Survivors, a plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines, along with three other non-members of the band.

Skynyrd reformed 10 years later for a reunion tour with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother as the new frontman, a position Johnny holds to this day. Although lead/rhythm guitarist Gary Rossington is the only founding member who remains with Skynyrd, thousands still show up to see the Kings of Southern Rock every time they play. To date, the band has sold nearly 30 million units in the U.S. alone.

Information initially obtained from Wikipedia; confirmed and revised (when necessary) through various sources.

Real Music: "Do You Remember," then and now

2011-10-18T20:40:00.001-05:00

I came across "Do You Remember" by singer/rapper Jay Sean while cruising YouTube recently. And like most tunes of that particular genre, it's crap. Complete crap. Here's the real version of Do You Remember, some 20 years earlier (including a 45-second intro), by a real singer named Phil Collins:

Us vs. Them

2011-10-18T20:06:00.000-05:00

As I've said before, friends on Facebook post some of the best stuff. When words alone aren't enough. . .