American Idol, New Orleans Saints and Kay Bailey Hutchinson

There are a few things on the television that I have found rather interesting in the last week or so. Last night the New Orleans Saints won the NFC Championship which was great. I came to the conclusion that in order for the Saints to beat Peyton and the boys they will have to fall on fumbles when they are on the ground instead of trying to pick up and run. The Saints should have recovered at least two Viking fumbles but instead of falling on the ball, they tried to pick and run and then of course gave the ball back. I also noticed that Favre of the Vikings is one tough hombre. The Saints did their best to knock him out of the game and he hung in. Most QB's would have not made it through that pounding that Favre took. No way! I also noticed that during the post game festivities the "master of ceremonies" kept calling Saints honorary captain Deuce McAllister "Douche." I thought at first my ears deceived me, but he did it twice. That was pretty funny. All in all the game was a fun experience. Who Dat. Go Saints.

I watched American Idol the other night which is something that I frequently criticize others for doing. So be it. I noted that the last guy that sang was some kind of good. This is the guy (I am too lazy to bother looking up his name) that spent a good portion of his youth in the can for robbing a bank at the age of 15 with a bb gun. I think he might have what it takes to be the "next American Idol." I also noted a couple of sisters from NJ who really could not sing all that well telling the judges something to the effect of "we belong in Hollywood." I don't know about that but they certainly look like they belong in Chatsworth. If American Idol does not work out for them (and it won't) I would be willing to bet that someone in Chatsworth would be willing to "make them a star." I am sorry to say that I would probably pay to see that.

Kay Bailey Hutchinson is running for Governor of Texas for some reason or other. She really does not stand a chance, but what the hey. Her major opponent in the primary is incumbent Rick Perry. Now Perry is just a bit too blow dried for me. He reminds me a bit of a Republican John Edwards. I don't know why, he just does. Just don't trust a grown man with a kiss me quick haircut. At any rate Hutchinson has a campaign ad out that is really very disturbing and actually offers quite a bit of insight into the PC state of governance.
The ad in question touts Hutchinson's achievement in getting more border patrol agents on the Mexican border. I do not know if this is true or not so will reserve comment on this.
The second point in the ad is that as Governor she will require that all state agencies check immigration status on prospective state employees before hiring. Is this not already being done?If not, that is crazy.
The third, and most damning point is that Hutchinson will make sure that all illegal immigrants that "commit crimes" will be deported. Silly me, I thought that holding illegal status was already a crime. Why are those who are in violation of immigration laws not already deported when detected?
Kay Bailey Hutchinson for Governor of Texas? Let us hope not. Of course Rick Perry is nothing special either. Bill White, the Democrat, has actually been a pretty decent Mayor for Houston, but he is, truth be told, far too Un American on the immigration issue to be of any real use to the citizens of Texas. It is a conundrum as they say.

Haiti and France

Apparently some French authorities are whining because the United States is taking a leading role in providing relief to the unfortunate people of Haiti. That is pretty silly, but typical. The United States is fairly close to Hispaniola and having the resources and projection capabilities, it makes sense that this country would take the lead. Lives are after all at stake! Do those in France not understand that competent troops from somewhere absolutely must be on the ground to ensure the security of those who frankly have put themselves in grave danger by going to Haiti to try to help? Haiti is a very volatile place even in the best of times. The devastation is apparently so great that mass violence is just around the corner. That will not deter those who are engaged in selfless humanitarian assistance only so long as there is a military presence to reasonably ensure safety. We in the United States should welcome military units from other nations to assist in ensuring safety for those doing important work.
Constant carping and whining from France should give one pause. It is the Europeans (France in particular), not the United States, that will find it a necessity to defeat Mohammedanism before their countries, that they take such pride in and rightfully so, are over run. Do they have the stomach for it? There is reason to doubt it.

Golden Goobs

I watched the Golden Globe awards last night and frankly enjoyed the show. I have a love of movies and a respect for the talent it takes to make good film. It is really a kind of love/hate relationship with Hollywood. For some reason, actors, producers, etc. tend to have a sense of importance that drives many of them to spout their political beliefs and agendas and that of course is their right. It is also quite annoying. George Clooney's political agenda holds no more interest to me than the political beliefs of the local grocer. That's all I have to say about that.

The somewhat controversial film Avatar won best picture and that is kind of interesting in a "who gives a damn" sort of way. There are those that say that the film is a very long political statement which supposedly paints those of us of European descent in a bad light. I do not know about that as I have not seen the film and can not really comment. It is supposed to be quite colorful which I would find interesting. Whether or not it is really some leftist political propaganda - I would not know. However, when accepting the award, director James Cameron, did make some statements that were vaguely political. Now I don't like Cameron. I find him to be a pompous ass and quite full of himself. Also, there is a film coming out that is called "Avatar: The Last Air Bender which is based on a cartoon series. Cameron and company beat the "real" Avatar film to the punch and in my opinion appropriated the name. When I say appropriated, I mean it in a "Mr. Krabs "borrowed" the pickle barrel" sort of way. I am a big fan of Sponge Bob and those of you that are also would understand that reference I am sure. On thing Cameron said that I have to agree on however is that making movies is one of the best jobs in the world. I believe that to be true. Beats sitting is some office I would imagine.

American Idol is Stupid, but "Pants on the Ground" was Great

Well "American Idol" the opiate of the masses, is on again for another season. I must admit that I do watch the early auditions for entertainment value. You have to wonder what makes some people truly believe that they have some talent, when in fact, they have even less than even the average person who shits between two shoes. I often cringe when I see someone making a complete ass of themselves and want to turn away but of course, don't. It is voyeuristic to the extreme probably but can be just hard not to watch. Last night however a man calling himself "General" Larry Platt came on and sang his original "Pants on the Ground." I hope we will be hearing from the good General soon. Remember William Hung a few years ago? General Platt has much more talent than William and William made a little money with his recording. He sort of helped make "Idol" look foolish in his innocent fun loving way. I hope Larry Platt gets his cool song recorded and makes himself a little coin. He is funny and is a lovable old dude besides.

Idiots

Well Pat Robertson has spoken and again proven himself to be what we all already know. As Ass! Of course if he is right in his comments and has some special insight into God's Will then we are all "up the ass of the prophet." I'm not really sure what that means exactly but I did read it in Lothar Gunther Buchheim's historical novel "Das Boot." If I recall it used in a conversation between the Chief Engineer of the U-Boat explaining propulsion or buoyancy to the German Naval Correspondent that was assigned for the patrol. Apparently "up the ass of the prophet" is not a good thing. "Das Boot" is a novel with the impact of Willi Heinrich's "Cross of Iron" and the WWI historical novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Remarque. The film based on "Das Boot" is probably frighteningly realistic, but the "Cross of Iron" was a very poor film even with the all star cast assigned. It would be nice if someone would remake "The Cross of Iron" into a more accurate film. I have not seen the film "All Quiet on the Western Front". What is interesting about the three above named authors is that all of them walked the walk. Buchheim served on Atlantic U-Boats and is very lucky indeed to have survived that experience. A large proportion of the sailors assigned to U-Boat duty never came home. Heinrich faced the Soviets on the eastern front fighting a war which we in this country can only imagine. The Nazi/Soviet theatre of the war was truly a fight to the finish. Remarque served in WWI and was wounded numerous times. Each of these books is an excellent read and the film "Das Boot" is well worth watching.

It is kind of odd that right now the voices of the lunatic fringe have the floor to the detriment of the country. On the right we have Robertson, Duke and their ilk and they are just silly. On
the left we have the likes of Pelosi, Franken, Gore, Frank, Holder, and (dare I say) Obama. With that crew in positions of power this country is unfortunately truly "Up the ass of the prophet."

Is Bob Barker a Sponsor of Terror?

Apparently the Sea Shepherd organization has had one of their vessels rammed by a Japanese whaling ship. This is not too surprising as the Sea Shepherds routinely harass the whalers and try their level best to cause damage to their opponents. What is really a surprise is that no one has been killed yet in this well documented "war" on the high seas. Now one has to respect the Sea Shepherds goals. The Japanese have no business conducting such barbarous action as hunting and killing these beautiful creatures. As an environmentalist (a real one, not a nut case environmental religionist type) whaling is an affront to my sensibilities. As a friend of mine said "fuck a Japanese, they don't need to eat a whale." I could not agree more.

Bob Barker, of American game show fame, has supposedly donated 5 millions of dollars to the Sea Shepherd organization and has a vessel named in his honor. The Japanese believe that the Shepherds are pirates and a terrorist organization to boot. They may be standing on firm legal ground on this issue. If they are correct (the Japanese) in that assessment, does that make Bob Barker a "sponsor of terror?"

That is a funny question to ask, but in court of law you can bet that concept would be explored in detail.

NBA Still Has an Image Problem

Apparently a couple of NBA players have drawn guns on each other in their locker room. Is anyone that surprised? It appeared that the NBA had cleaned up somewhat but apparently not.

A Few Things Wrong With The Game

I love college football and have for many years and I believe there are some changes that are long overdue. The game, at the Division I level (I refuse to call it FBS), has become little more than a farm system for the NFL (and other pro leagues) in which the players receive no compensation. I am not for any paid compensation for college players, but let us call it what it is -big business which utilizes unpaid semi professional players. Think it is not big business? Consider this - If a coach for a major college team does not consistently win, he is out of a job. No ifs, ands, or buts. Look at Bobby Bowden. He was forced out (of course he was) of his job at FSU after building that program. A man of his stature should have had the luxury of staying until he felt the need to retire, even if that meant mediocre seasons for FSU until he retired. The same can be said for Paterno at Penn State. I have been a Florida State fan for years, mainly due to Bowden. I will miss him leading the Noles and will also miss defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews (I used to work with his son) prowling the sidelines with him. Andrews just looked like he had anger management issues and that was kinda cool. Needless to say I am an FSU fan no more and wish them no success in the future. The point is that the need to "win at all cost" in major college ball shows that the game has become more akin to the NFL than to the game for "student athletes" it is supposed to be.

A couple of things I would change on the field is the ridiculous college overtime. If the teams are tied at the end of regulation, and an overtime must be played, why not just play another quarter. Frankly I would just as soon see the end of the game be the end of the game even if that means a tie.
I also think that the ground can cause a fumble. This waiting around for officials to determine if the ground caused the fumble is stupid. If a player fumbles the ball, he fumbles the ball. I don't care if a bird caused it.

I won't go into the BCS system much here, other than to say that it is somewhat of a scam. Tonight's Fiesta Bowl is a good case in point. Boise State and TCU square off in what may be a very good game. Here is the rub. Neither of them is in a BCS Conference and therefore a game between them proves very little. It is probable that the BCS leadership don't want another embarrassment which shows their system to be a sham. That being said, I do not believe the government has any business getting involved in changing the system.They might have better things to do. Hopefully the BCS will just die on its own before too long.

I also have issue with Allstate Insurance being so heavily involved in the college game. They certainly have the right to sponsor college ball, but it just seems a little odd. They appear to have ample money for sponsorship, but let me ask you a question. Have you ever dealt with these folks? Have you ever tried to get them to pay a fair and equitable claim? I have and can tell you from experience you will know you are in good hands. You may feel them sliding up your backside. I feel comfortable saying this as I have felt myself victimized by them. They are happy to take your money but it is my experience (and many others) that you are dealing with perhaps an unethical organization. Perhaps the NCAA should be a little more discriminating on who they let sponsor the sport. I am silly for thinking that I know.

One other thing; There are far to many bowl games. A game between two 6-6 teams is just not interesting. A .500 record should not qualify a team for post season play.

Just a few thoughts on the game.

Fousesquawk and Welcome Back to Pottersville: Good Blogs

I have been reading an excellent blog recently by a man named Gary Fouse. He is a published author, college professor, and a man who had an impressive career in public service. His writings are forthright, cutting and right on target. He has obviously been around the block enough to understand how the world works and is not afraid to call a fool a fool. Check him out at garyfouse.blogspot.com.

Another good blog (I hate to admit it)is Welcome Back to Pottersville. The author, who calls himself Jurassicpork, is so out to lunch that it is almost unbelievable. I would have to classify him as a twit and have done so in earlier editorials on this oft read (lol) blog. He is also a contributor on the maddenly progressive (what is that?) blog known as Brilliant at Breakfast. Now Mr. Pork is obviously intelligent, and is a very good writer, but his writings are so ridiculously left wing that I would venture to say that he has no understanding of the realities of the world. He apparently is trying to get a novel published, and I certainly have to give him credit for that. Hell, I would even buy it if it comes to fruition and I sincerely wish him luck in that endeavor. I would love to be a good enough writer to create, much less publish a novel. Check him out at welcomebacktopottersville.blogspot.com.

These two blogs are both very interesting and well worth the read.

Mike Leach Controversy

I can't seem to get my mind around the swirl of controversy that surrounds the Texas Tech football program. Mike Leach was of course fired the other day and the finger pointing is out of control. Here lies the problem - Mike Leach apparently sent Adam James to an inappropriate area during practice. Adam reportedly had a mild concussion and felt he was being mistreated by the coaching staff. On one hand it is easy to write Adam off as a pantywaist and whiner and his father ESPN analyst Craig James as a busybody "legend in his own mind" type. On the other hand, Leach is somewhat of a loose cannon and one can get the impression that he is somewhat of a narcissist and ego maniac. Who is in the right here? If it is Coach Leach, then he has been treated unfairly by the administration. The impression I get is that Adam did not get the playing time he thought he deserved and his father jumped on the bandwagon and played the typical jerk sports father. Now if Adam is not good enough for major playing time perhaps he should consider transferring. Perhaps a school from a lower division where his chances of playing more minutes are greater would be a better fit. Major college football, after all, is big business. Not so much in the lower divisions where the game still resembles true college athletics and not the NFL farm system. There would be no shame in that, in fact, if he proved to be a quality player in lower division college ball the NFL would still come calling. They will find you if you can play the game. Now his father, from all appearances, got too involved in the issue and tried to throw his weight around (as if a football coach has any use for an "analyst"). This may have been rightfully seen by Leach as interference from a dolt into his program. If that is the case Leach may have been tempted to treat Adam differently from other players. That would be human nature, but a coach should have more maturity than that. Oh well, the controversy has been blown out of proportion and nobody will come out the winner here. Incidentally those at ESPN have shown their true colors by insinuating that Leach is the problem. Way to go dickweeds.

Economy in Shambles

If you want the truth; I mean the real truth on the state of any local economy check with a bartender, server, or a cab driver. If you want a broader regional or national economic opinion, check with a long haul trucker. Economists can tell you about housing starts, the ups and down of retail sales, factory orders, etc. etc. What they can not do is agree on anything. It is also noteworthy that they appear to be quite often wrong when they calculate the significance of economic data. At any rate, many are politically or financially motivated to paint data in a good or bad light and therefore can not be trusted. It is a good possibility that the whole "profession" of economist is nothing more than "witch science." anyway. In that it might be a lot like psychology. Oh well, here is my opinion of the local economy. It may be just as accurate as a that of a learned economist.

I had a taxi cab the past New Years Eve (last Thursday) and can tell you from experience that the local economy is falling off. The bars and restaurants all had business of course, but there appeared to be only slightly more traffic than a once decent Saturday night. My earnings were way off from last year and even last year was apparently not as good as the year before. Now I did not work as a cabbie the year before last, I was catering but my good friend did and he said that last year's business was off 50 per cent. This year the business was off from last NYE approx 30 per cent. There is a problem somewhere for sure.
I also quite often ask those in the bar and restaurant biz if they have noticed a dramatic decrease in business and almost without exception the answer is "yes."

I would put the knowledge of those in the service industry concerning the true state of the economy up against any PhD. economist. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.