Week one is in the books more or less (a couple of games today Sunday and one major game Monday night) and, for the most part, it was pretty predictable. The Aggies came out looking pretty sharp and South Carolina looked horrible while UCLA certainly did not look like a top 20 squad with their struggle with a Virginia team. I guess we should add that Peterson's Huskies struggled mightily with the Hawaii squad. All in all though things went about like any first week of any season. The Bartendercabbie record was 7-3 last week.........That being said, on to the predictions for week 2 of the 2014 season.
1. McNeese St vs Nebraska: Are the Huskers really in need of this much extra practice? Really almost everybody seems to schedule non conference "cupcakes" at least once a season but two in a row? I suppose Bo is just trying to pad his stats before the real season begins. The Cowboys may contend in the Southland Conference but this will be a mismatch. Unfair really although wouldn't it be grand.....?
2. UAB vs Mississippi State: The Blazers came out blazing in their victory over in state rival Troy. The looked better than they have in past seasons thus far to be sure. The Bulldogs are a mystery again. They won't compete for top spot in the SEC and no mistake, but there is a distinct possibility that they will be a pretty good ball club when all is said and done. Go with the team from Northern Mississippi here.
3. Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt: It looks like the Commodores will be back to business as usual. Franklin took his act to PSU and the team just doesn't look good. One doesn't lose to Temple anytime and consider themselves a good team. One certainly does not get blown out by those particular Owls....The Rebs looked impressive against what may be the class of the Mountain West in Boise State and likely will have little trouble in this SEC match up. Go with Ole Miss.
4. Sam Houston State vs LSU: The Tigers may need a breather after a hard fought victory over what looks to be a pretty good Badger team. SHSU will be a contender in the Southland race and perhaps even a factor in the race to the top of the FCS (their loss to EWU not withstanding). That being said, the team from Texas will be over matched here although they will have a few surprises for the Tiger squad. It won't be near enough. Go with the Tigers.
5. USC vs Stanford: A major PAC12 contest early and it could be a good one. USC is Laneless and that certainly has helped matters. Stanford may be the team to beat in the PAC12 race and has an outside shot of taking it all on the national level. This will be a good one and a betting man should pick Stanford for the win. Not sure if they will beat the spread........
6. Michigan vs Notre Dame: Hoke needs this one in the worst way. Other than Ohio State and MSU, this will be what the Wolverine faithful look to as a must win. The Irish looked OK in their outing with a plucky but over matched Rice squad and I'm not real sure if Michigan is much a step above the Owls or not. Time will tell. Go with Notre Dame.
7. Michigan St. vs Oregon: This, along with the USC/Stanford match up, is the big game of the week. MSU was certainly a top 5 team when all was said and done last season and Oregon (or Stanford) is the favorite to win the PAC12. Which team is better right now? Hard to say. I will flip a coin and go with the quickness of Oregon to prevail.
8. Texas Tech vs UTEP: The Raiders struggled with the UCA Bears in their opener. UTEP is not as good a team as the bunch from little ole Conway, AR. though. UCA will be the favorite in the Southland and has an outside shot of playing for all the marbles in the FCS. Point is, don't under rate these top level FCS squads or do so at your peril. More than one "big time" team has learned this hard lesson and it is becoming more common. What? Oh, the Red Raider/Miner match up. Go with TTU.
9. Towson vs WVU: The Mountaineers hung tough against the vaunted Tide but this game with the Tigers will not be a cake walk most likely. Again a top level FCS squad can be dangerous and Towson is likely to qualify in that regard this season. I would go with WVU here but it may be close.
10. EWU vs Washington: I'm just not so sure that Washington will win this one. They struggled with the Warriors from the islands and did not look good. Has Hawaii improved that much? Perhaps but I kind of doubt it. EWU is another one of those teams that is talked about when the eventual FCS champion is discussed. Well, sort of anyway. NDSU will win that division but there are a number that will make a play to eventually lose to the Bison in the "big game at the end" (remember the XFL?). Peterson's squad better step it up if they have any hope of competing with the top of the PAC12 and this particular game will be no cake walk. I am tempted to put this down as an "upset" of sorts but will go with conventional wisdom and pick the big team from Washington for the win.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Truth and Questions From The Cab 9 With Rule 5
There is a lot going on and a lot of it is not so good with some of being downright ridiculous. I again and as usual have some hard questions that need to be asked and some observations that need to be made. I have not decided on the Rule 5 theme for this rendition but am kinda thinking it might be worth sticking around for. Or maybe not.
1. Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee is still dumbass. This won't change.
2. How long before young "Johnny Football" gets his clock cleaned do you think? There will be a cheap shot "welcome to the NFL" type hit coming soon I would wager. Perhaps before the preseason games are even concluded. Why? Because he is an idiot and folk don't like him. They just don't like him.
3. Have you found yourself wondering just how much cash the Very Reverend(s) Jackson and Sharpton are making in the latest fiasco? Yea talking about that Missouri thing. Don't they have enough to do leading their respective church congregations? What? Oh.
4. This ISIS group is not one to fight with a hand behind a back. The only option here is for no quarter extermination. Nothing less will do likely.
5. Israel has killed some top Hamas "military" commanders of late. Good.
6. It is never ever a good idea to mention to Houston Texans fans that Mr. J.J. Watt has a lot in common (on the field) with a hot dog from an earlier era - one Mark Gastineau. It is especially not a good plan to mention it to a rabid fan that happens to be one's better half. BTW where is the "x" on the end of Gastineau?
I suppose it would be fair to mention that J.J. Watt, good as he is on the field (but a hot dog none the less), is in real life not an idiot as Gastineau surely was as a younger man.
7. There are a number of Brits fighting with this ISIS crew it seems. One of them I believe was the executioner of the American journalist Foley. Is it a good thing that these "British" Muslim fools are openly waging Jihad in the ME instead of quietly plotting some horrific deed on the Isles? Wait. Good money says they are plotting evil on the UK.
8. Would it be non PC to point out that for Europe to survive it will have to put a halt on this migration from the Muslim lands? Perhaps even begin deportations? You know the answer to that don't you? I think you do.
9. That small "wiggle room" I have spoken of in previous posts concerning Russia are something to think about. Unfortunately for the Ukrainians the "wiggle room" is to be at their expense. Keep the resurgent Soviet regime contained and constrained, encourage her enemies to cause problems, but be smart about it. Ukraine is not in NATO and should never have even been considered. John McCain is just plain nuts.
10. That whole Missouri thing is out of hand. Of course the officer is being demonized and judged guilty before the facts are even known. Word to the wise - police officers in general just don't go to work thinking that they are going to just shoot someone down today. I know this to be true and I am certainly no apologist (or fan) of the police in general. Before all is said and done I would wager that this will be judged a justified shooting. It won't matter of course. The usual suspects will fan the flames, preen for the cameras, and someone else will could their life before they move on. Just the way it is.
11. It sure has been a quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic and Gulf. Things might be heating up a bit though. A hurricane is a huge pain in the ass but at least you can see them coming. Don't listen to the "experts" on where the thing might go though. Ever!
12. Why is it that just when you think you are getting ahead a bit financially something major rears its ugly head and kicks you in the cock? Happens to everyone it seems.
13. Did you know a minimum wage worker in Seattle makes more per hour than a chemical trucker? So if a truck driving man happens to be delivering some heinous stuff in that fair city and stops in for a cup of joe, the person behind the counter will be making a better wage than said trucker. Something wrong there..
14. Have you noticed that our nation's educational system seems to get more convoluted year in and year out although we have so many "Doctors" of Education roaming about? What does that say? I would wager that these "experts" in education are causing as much harm to our system(s) as many an MBA does in our nation's business community. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
15. Apparently we have no "strategy" in place to deal with this ISIS crowd. Our POTUS said so himself. Not sure why he would announce such for all the country (and world) to hear but ....Are you also scratching your head here?
16. Can anyone tell me just how to go about getting one of them thar Obama phones? Tired of paying for my service frankly and besides, I want to buy other big ticket items that I can't afford. Why should I have to pay for a phone when they are just giving the damn things away? What? There is some sort of financial threshold to qualify? I was hoping for at least one benefit from this disaster that is the Obama administration.
17. Texas Agriculture sure put a whoopin on Spurrier and CO. Did not see that coming right out of the gate. Did you? I don't quite know yet if I would rule out South Carolina making a bid for top dog in the SEC. The college football season has begun and I for one and happy about it.
19. Apparently being a UN "peacekeeper" in the ME is rather dangerous business of late. Some Philippine troops have been attacked by Islamist militants and some Fijian troops are missing.
Enough for today...In honor of the 2014 college football season, how about a few cheerleader types?
which college?
1. Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee is still dumbass. This won't change.
2. How long before young "Johnny Football" gets his clock cleaned do you think? There will be a cheap shot "welcome to the NFL" type hit coming soon I would wager. Perhaps before the preseason games are even concluded. Why? Because he is an idiot and folk don't like him. They just don't like him.
3. Have you found yourself wondering just how much cash the Very Reverend(s) Jackson and Sharpton are making in the latest fiasco? Yea talking about that Missouri thing. Don't they have enough to do leading their respective church congregations? What? Oh.
4. This ISIS group is not one to fight with a hand behind a back. The only option here is for no quarter extermination. Nothing less will do likely.
5. Israel has killed some top Hamas "military" commanders of late. Good.
6. It is never ever a good idea to mention to Houston Texans fans that Mr. J.J. Watt has a lot in common (on the field) with a hot dog from an earlier era - one Mark Gastineau. It is especially not a good plan to mention it to a rabid fan that happens to be one's better half. BTW where is the "x" on the end of Gastineau?
I suppose it would be fair to mention that J.J. Watt, good as he is on the field (but a hot dog none the less), is in real life not an idiot as Gastineau surely was as a younger man.
7. There are a number of Brits fighting with this ISIS crew it seems. One of them I believe was the executioner of the American journalist Foley. Is it a good thing that these "British" Muslim fools are openly waging Jihad in the ME instead of quietly plotting some horrific deed on the Isles? Wait. Good money says they are plotting evil on the UK.
8. Would it be non PC to point out that for Europe to survive it will have to put a halt on this migration from the Muslim lands? Perhaps even begin deportations? You know the answer to that don't you? I think you do.
9. That small "wiggle room" I have spoken of in previous posts concerning Russia are something to think about. Unfortunately for the Ukrainians the "wiggle room" is to be at their expense. Keep the resurgent Soviet regime contained and constrained, encourage her enemies to cause problems, but be smart about it. Ukraine is not in NATO and should never have even been considered. John McCain is just plain nuts.
10. That whole Missouri thing is out of hand. Of course the officer is being demonized and judged guilty before the facts are even known. Word to the wise - police officers in general just don't go to work thinking that they are going to just shoot someone down today. I know this to be true and I am certainly no apologist (or fan) of the police in general. Before all is said and done I would wager that this will be judged a justified shooting. It won't matter of course. The usual suspects will fan the flames, preen for the cameras, and someone else will could their life before they move on. Just the way it is.
11. It sure has been a quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic and Gulf. Things might be heating up a bit though. A hurricane is a huge pain in the ass but at least you can see them coming. Don't listen to the "experts" on where the thing might go though. Ever!
12. Why is it that just when you think you are getting ahead a bit financially something major rears its ugly head and kicks you in the cock? Happens to everyone it seems.
13. Did you know a minimum wage worker in Seattle makes more per hour than a chemical trucker? So if a truck driving man happens to be delivering some heinous stuff in that fair city and stops in for a cup of joe, the person behind the counter will be making a better wage than said trucker. Something wrong there..
14. Have you noticed that our nation's educational system seems to get more convoluted year in and year out although we have so many "Doctors" of Education roaming about? What does that say? I would wager that these "experts" in education are causing as much harm to our system(s) as many an MBA does in our nation's business community. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
15. Apparently we have no "strategy" in place to deal with this ISIS crowd. Our POTUS said so himself. Not sure why he would announce such for all the country (and world) to hear but ....Are you also scratching your head here?
16. Can anyone tell me just how to go about getting one of them thar Obama phones? Tired of paying for my service frankly and besides, I want to buy other big ticket items that I can't afford. Why should I have to pay for a phone when they are just giving the damn things away? What? There is some sort of financial threshold to qualify? I was hoping for at least one benefit from this disaster that is the Obama administration.
17. Texas Agriculture sure put a whoopin on Spurrier and CO. Did not see that coming right out of the gate. Did you? I don't quite know yet if I would rule out South Carolina making a bid for top dog in the SEC. The college football season has begun and I for one and happy about it.
19. Apparently being a UN "peacekeeper" in the ME is rather dangerous business of late. Some Philippine troops have been attacked by Islamist militants and some Fijian troops are missing.
Enough for today...In honor of the 2014 college football season, how about a few cheerleader types?
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Week 1 2014 College Football Forecast and Predictions
The 2014 college football season is just around the corner and I will get an early start here and go with the predictions for week 1.
This season would have to be something to come close to the excitement and suspense we saw season last. The fluke play in the Iron Bowl, a non SEC team actually winning the crown of now defunct BCS, the silliness of one "Johnny Football," Duke and Mizzou in the mix in their respective conference races, a surprising Michigan State group ending up as one of the best in the land, and a North Dakota State team that may well have been a top 20 squad if playing in what is formerly known as Division I. The list could go on and on. That being said take a look at the Bartender Cabbie System's predictions for week one.
1. Sam Houston St vs Eastern Washington: This could be a good one. Two teams from the FCS that could easily compete in the upper division (some conferences anyway) square off to start the season. SHSU coach has moved onto "greener pastures" (of course) after success and EWU will be right there in the hunt for the FCS title. This may be a toss up and I will go with EWU here.
2.Clemson vs Georgia: This non conference rivalry game will get a lot of attention sure. Georgia has to compete in the SEC this season or the staff is gone. Clemson has less to lose. The Tigers head coach is not going anywhere regardless. Clemson fans don't (or shouldn't) have the expectation that the Tigers will be a national power this season and should be content being in the top two to four in the ACC. Clemson has jut lost too many good players and are in a bit of a rebuild mode but will likely find the the top 20. They should be a better team than the Bulldogs though and will find a way to win. Go with the team from South Carolina.
3. Rice vs Notre Dame: Conventional wisdom says this will be an easy victory for the Irish. I doubt it.They lose some key players apparently in a "scandal" of sorts and of course the coaching staff is "in the clear." The Owls have lost some top players from season last but David Bailiff often does a whole lot with a very little.
The Irish should win straight up but, if I were a betting man, I would go against the spread here. Take ND in perhaps a closer than expected game.
4. Boise State vs Ole Miss: The Rebs will be out to prove they are relevant in the SEC (they might be) and the Broncos will want to show that they are still relevant on the national stage (not this time). Boise State is Petersonless after many years and, let us be honest, have fallen off a bit the last couple of seasons. They may well win the MWC but are likely not going to be a national power. The new HC had a good season at Arkansas State last year to be sure but he has big shoes to fill. I would go with the Rebs here. It may be close.
5. Ohio State vs Navy: The Buckeyes likely have the talent to compete for a national championship. They won't. Navy is the best of the service academies and will prove dangerous to anyone they play. Pick the Buckeyes in a rather close game.
6. Georgia Southern vs NC State: Willie Fritz takes the helm over at Georgia Southern after having a good deal of success at FCS Sam Houston State. He will guide the Eagles in their transition from FCS to the upper division of college ball and will likely have some success. The Eagles are used to having a run oriented offense that has been very successful in the FCS ranks. Remember the "surprise" that GSU gave to the Gators last season? That being said, Fritz will have a more open offense that may take some time to get fully implemented.
On the other hand NC State will be in the bottom half of the ACC. This would make this likely a pretty even game. I will go with Georgia Southern in an upset of sorts.
7. N. Dakota State vs Iowa State: The FCS champion will be able to beat this lower tier Big Twelve team. It is quite probable that had NDSU competed in the upper division last year they would have been a top 20 team. Good money would be placed on the Bison again being the champion of the FCS this season and also good money should go to the Cyclones fighting just to keep out of the cellar in the Big Twelve. Go with North Dakota State.
8. SFA vs KSU: Kansas State has always been criticized for scheduling "cream puffs" as their non conference foes. (Didn't work out so well last year when NDSU came calling if you recall). Now everyone schedules down with perhaps SEC teams being the worst offenders. The Wildcats should have no trouble here as SFA is probably going to again be an upper middle of the pack Southland squad. Go with KSU to have a fairly easy time with the Lumberjacks.
9. LSU vs Wisconsin: This one is to be decided in Houston at NRG Stadium (home of the Texans). Houston is such a diverse city and one of the nation's economic powerhouses and thus has people from all over the country (and world) helping to fuel the engine. The area is home to a huge population of LSU fans and I would imagine that there are a number of Badger faithful in these parts also. There won't be any trouble selling out the stadium to be sure. With all that being said, this could be a pretty good game. The Tigers will have more NFL caliber talent than the Wisconsin squad although some say this will be a bit of a rebuild season down Baton Rouge way. The Badgers will come with typical smash mouth play and will challenge the Tiger defense. Les Miles will likely find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a time or two this year (it is what he does) but probably not right out of the gate. I will go with LSU here although it will be a dogfight.
10. TAMU vs South Carolina: A big one right off the bat here. The Aggies have lost "Johnny Football" to the NFL and the possible replacement has taken his act to Texas Christian. Sumlin will have to see what he can do with an unproven man behind center. Johnny Football is not the only Aggie who has moved on to the next level either from last years' squad. A rebuild season in College Station? Likely so although I would wager that the Aggies will be a top twenty team before all is said and done.
South Carolina will be a contender in the SEC and it is not out of the question that they will have a shot at taking it all and ending up in the four team "playoff" that decides the National Champion. I won't get into the merits of the new "playoff" system quite yet but lets us just say that it may be marginally better than the now defunct BCS. The emphasis is on the word "marginally" here. I digress......The Gamecocks will be the better team and will win although it may be rather close. Spurrier's teams also at times (like LSU) have a tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Likely won't happen this time and I would go with South Carolina.
In just a couple of weeks the college game begins and I for one am looking forward to it.
This season would have to be something to come close to the excitement and suspense we saw season last. The fluke play in the Iron Bowl, a non SEC team actually winning the crown of now defunct BCS, the silliness of one "Johnny Football," Duke and Mizzou in the mix in their respective conference races, a surprising Michigan State group ending up as one of the best in the land, and a North Dakota State team that may well have been a top 20 squad if playing in what is formerly known as Division I. The list could go on and on. That being said take a look at the Bartender Cabbie System's predictions for week one.
1. Sam Houston St vs Eastern Washington: This could be a good one. Two teams from the FCS that could easily compete in the upper division (some conferences anyway) square off to start the season. SHSU coach has moved onto "greener pastures" (of course) after success and EWU will be right there in the hunt for the FCS title. This may be a toss up and I will go with EWU here.
2.Clemson vs Georgia: This non conference rivalry game will get a lot of attention sure. Georgia has to compete in the SEC this season or the staff is gone. Clemson has less to lose. The Tigers head coach is not going anywhere regardless. Clemson fans don't (or shouldn't) have the expectation that the Tigers will be a national power this season and should be content being in the top two to four in the ACC. Clemson has jut lost too many good players and are in a bit of a rebuild mode but will likely find the the top 20. They should be a better team than the Bulldogs though and will find a way to win. Go with the team from South Carolina.
3. Rice vs Notre Dame: Conventional wisdom says this will be an easy victory for the Irish. I doubt it.They lose some key players apparently in a "scandal" of sorts and of course the coaching staff is "in the clear." The Owls have lost some top players from season last but David Bailiff often does a whole lot with a very little.
The Irish should win straight up but, if I were a betting man, I would go against the spread here. Take ND in perhaps a closer than expected game.
4. Boise State vs Ole Miss: The Rebs will be out to prove they are relevant in the SEC (they might be) and the Broncos will want to show that they are still relevant on the national stage (not this time). Boise State is Petersonless after many years and, let us be honest, have fallen off a bit the last couple of seasons. They may well win the MWC but are likely not going to be a national power. The new HC had a good season at Arkansas State last year to be sure but he has big shoes to fill. I would go with the Rebs here. It may be close.
5. Ohio State vs Navy: The Buckeyes likely have the talent to compete for a national championship. They won't. Navy is the best of the service academies and will prove dangerous to anyone they play. Pick the Buckeyes in a rather close game.
6. Georgia Southern vs NC State: Willie Fritz takes the helm over at Georgia Southern after having a good deal of success at FCS Sam Houston State. He will guide the Eagles in their transition from FCS to the upper division of college ball and will likely have some success. The Eagles are used to having a run oriented offense that has been very successful in the FCS ranks. Remember the "surprise" that GSU gave to the Gators last season? That being said, Fritz will have a more open offense that may take some time to get fully implemented.
On the other hand NC State will be in the bottom half of the ACC. This would make this likely a pretty even game. I will go with Georgia Southern in an upset of sorts.
7. N. Dakota State vs Iowa State: The FCS champion will be able to beat this lower tier Big Twelve team. It is quite probable that had NDSU competed in the upper division last year they would have been a top 20 team. Good money would be placed on the Bison again being the champion of the FCS this season and also good money should go to the Cyclones fighting just to keep out of the cellar in the Big Twelve. Go with North Dakota State.
8. SFA vs KSU: Kansas State has always been criticized for scheduling "cream puffs" as their non conference foes. (Didn't work out so well last year when NDSU came calling if you recall). Now everyone schedules down with perhaps SEC teams being the worst offenders. The Wildcats should have no trouble here as SFA is probably going to again be an upper middle of the pack Southland squad. Go with KSU to have a fairly easy time with the Lumberjacks.
9. LSU vs Wisconsin: This one is to be decided in Houston at NRG Stadium (home of the Texans). Houston is such a diverse city and one of the nation's economic powerhouses and thus has people from all over the country (and world) helping to fuel the engine. The area is home to a huge population of LSU fans and I would imagine that there are a number of Badger faithful in these parts also. There won't be any trouble selling out the stadium to be sure. With all that being said, this could be a pretty good game. The Tigers will have more NFL caliber talent than the Wisconsin squad although some say this will be a bit of a rebuild season down Baton Rouge way. The Badgers will come with typical smash mouth play and will challenge the Tiger defense. Les Miles will likely find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a time or two this year (it is what he does) but probably not right out of the gate. I will go with LSU here although it will be a dogfight.
10. TAMU vs South Carolina: A big one right off the bat here. The Aggies have lost "Johnny Football" to the NFL and the possible replacement has taken his act to Texas Christian. Sumlin will have to see what he can do with an unproven man behind center. Johnny Football is not the only Aggie who has moved on to the next level either from last years' squad. A rebuild season in College Station? Likely so although I would wager that the Aggies will be a top twenty team before all is said and done.
South Carolina will be a contender in the SEC and it is not out of the question that they will have a shot at taking it all and ending up in the four team "playoff" that decides the National Champion. I won't get into the merits of the new "playoff" system quite yet but lets us just say that it may be marginally better than the now defunct BCS. The emphasis is on the word "marginally" here. I digress......The Gamecocks will be the better team and will win although it may be rather close. Spurrier's teams also at times (like LSU) have a tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Likely won't happen this time and I would go with South Carolina.
In just a couple of weeks the college game begins and I for one am looking forward to it.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Truth and Questions From the Cab #8 With Rule 5
Sunday morning is winding down and here I sit in front of the screen and keyboard instead of doing something useful and worthwhile. Thought about doing some predictions on the upcoming debut of the 2014 college football season and thought also about mowing the lawn. Gonna do neither right about now.....on to the gibberish.
1. Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee is still a dumbass. Time passes, things change, but the dumbassery of the esteemed congresswoman remains.
2. These wars in the Middle East are not going away anytime soon. The genie is out of that bottle and there will be nothing forward but genocidal activity. Our "targeted" airstrikes on this ISIS scum will not do much in the long run likely. These particular Mohammedans are taking killing to the next level and they ain't stopping for shit.
3. Johnny Football survived his first preseason outing with the Browns and is still walking. Did pretty good also they say. We will see how things play out in the long run. The transition from college to the NFL is tremendous for a QB, particularly one who runs all over creation. Good way to get pummeled as RGIII can attest. It doesn't help matters any that he is an ass. I don't doubt that some defender will be tempted to dole out a little extra before all is said and done. Saw it happen during college play..........
4. The Texans first preseason game was dismal. Conventional wisdom says the preseason matters little, but Good Lord.
5. Why is it we hear all about Israel's supposed "genocide" in Gaza from the left but don't hear a whole lot about what these ISIS folks are up to? To be fair, there has been some talk of neutralizing ISIS from at least one Senator of the far left very recently.
6. What should be done about Tony Stewart? Folks are asking.....The man should quit racing because of a tragic accident?
Car racing is dangerous and the habit of some to go out on the track to throw a helmet at a driver who "wronged" them on the track can lead to horrible consequences. Surprised it hasn't happened before..
7. Should we halt all travel to and from West Africa? Common sense might dictate this be the case. Of course we don't want to offend anyone.......
8. Is it not high time to really secure the southern border? Perhaps shut it down to all but legitimate business and tourist traffic? Again this common sense thing rears its ugly head....
9. Is LaRaza a hate group? Some believe such.
10. How can anyone teach "business" at a university (well Phoenix so not sure if that can qualify) if one has never ever run any kind of business what so ever? Not even a snow cone stand. Being a mid level paper shuffler doesn't qualify as "business" in my mind. I had a supervisor who made much of his part time adjunct position teaching business but when asked (by me, I'm a jerk apparently) if he had ever run a real business, he pointed to the pile of papers on his desk. Out of decorum I chose to stifle the chuckle that was building.
11. Why is it that when one is doing the Lord's work such as "blogging" one's better half comes up with something "important" that needs to be done around the house? Guess I will have to continue this nonsense at a later time...........
12. As I continue on Tuesday August 12 I must offer condolences to the family of Robin Williams.
13. It appears that airstrikes on the ISIS terror group by our forces are allowing the Iraqi forces to at least work on rescuing some of those that the terrorists are so intent on eliminating. An interesting development of note is that both Russian and Iran (along with the possibility of Syrian aircraft) have also been involved to some extent. Hard to say.....
14. I heard that some fruitloop over at the Huffington Post believes that Israel should share the "iron dome" technology with the "forces" of Hamas. Is this true and if so, what kind of sumbitch would be stupid enough to suggest such? Oh wait. I remember now. Fairness, even in combat, sure seems to be important to some of these interior dickorator types.
15. Do you think Jon Voight will get any more acting gigs? Do you think he cares?
16. It is true that the current POTUS, bad as he is (and there may have never been worse) did inherit some major problems from his predecessor. What?
17. Is H. Clinton signaling a run for POTUS with her criticism of the current administration? Is our citizenry really stupid enough to elect her? What? Yes I guess I must admit that was an obtuse question. We already know the answer to that one.....
19. The Astros, some how or other, are not the worst team in baseball. Pretty close but they may just escape the cellar before all is said and done.
20. Do you think that blaming the dislike of the president simply because he is a person of color has pretty much played out? Even among many libs? You know the answer to that don't you? I think you do.
21. Is the new cease fire between Israel and Hamas still holding? Haven't looked into current affairs today. Update: A few rockets have been fired but nothing to really make headlines.
Enough of this. Rule 5 time. Kinda sparse this time around but quality can sometimes trump quantity. Or do you think otherwise?
Monday, August 4, 2014
Bartender Cabbie 2014 College Football Preseason Top 25
The BCS is now a thing of the past and good riddance. It was just not inclusive (I usually detest that word) enough and one had the feeling that there was just something smarmy (hate to say rigged) about the whole process. Certainly not sure if the new system is going to be much better to be honest but it is the system we have in "big time" college ball and we will have to make due.
The Bartender Cabbie System however is based on half baked analysis of the college game, but has in the past proven to be just about as accurate as all these "professional" analysts. How does one get a paying gig doing that? Let me know.......
The 2014 Preseason Top 25
1. Florida State: May well be a repeat performance. There may (or may not) be some scumbaggery present in Tallahassee with some alleging that the administration and local constabulary covered up some unseemly behavior on the part of the young QB, but that has not been proven. Allegations they are and allegations is all they will ever be. Bank it. That aside, this team looks like a top notch SEC squad instead of ACC and when combined with a rather easy (as such things go) ACC schedule, well, the 'Noles should have a very good shot of appearing in the big game at the end.
2. Alabama: Nick will have another great product on the field. The fluke loss to Auburn deflated the kids likely and all the pep talks in the world probably didn't do much to overcome their disappointment of not again being the top team in the nation. They would be ranked number one in the Bartender Cabbie System had they not inexplicably hired one Lane Kiffin as OC. That is crazy.
3. Auburn: Perhaps Auburn should not have gone all the way to the big game season last. The fluke win over the Tide inflated them as much as it deflated the Alabama players. That being said, this team is led by one heck of a coaching staff, has top notch SEC talent, and could be right there at the end.
4. Oklahoma: The Sooners have a shot and no mistake. Kieth Ford Jr. may eventually prove to be one of the top backs in the country. The Big Twelve is not the SEC although it is arguably the second toughest conference and Oklahoma has an excellent shot of winning the conference but will find themselves beaten by one or more conference foes. It is what they do.
5. Oregon: The young gun is back and if he stays healthy he will win some games pretty much on his own. There are some up and coming dangerous teams in the mix in the PAC Twelve but the Ducks should be the best of the bunch.
6. Baylor: A possible Heisman contender at QB and an excellent coaching staff will have them competing for top spot in the Big Twelve.
7. Ohio State: This team should have been right there season last and should be right there upcoming. They won't. Something slightly off in Columbus. The coaching staff would be my guess. The Buckeyes perhaps will win the Big Ten but won't reach the national title game.
8. Michigan State: The team was under rated last year and was perhaps the second or third best team in the country when all was said and done. It would be a struggle perhaps to do just as well this season but I would not count them out.
9. Stanford: Will, as usual, be a force in the PAC 12 and the team has a very good shot of winning the conference.
10. South Carolina: This is not the easiest place to win but the "old ball coach" has had some what might be considered phenomenal success here. They will be a contender in the SEC.
11. LSU: Coach Miles is back again and will be loaded with talent and that talent will just not quite be enough to win the conference. As usual. They will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on more than one occasion.
12. UCLA: UCLA? Yes. Well coached and up and coming. Could be a dark horse to take it all in the PAC 12.
13. Clemson: A lot of talent lost they say. Will just be a step above the rest of the ACC pack the talk is. Perhaps. Perhaps not. The team is well coached and we will just have to wait and see. They won't knock FSU off their perch but they should be a force in conference play.
14. USC: You bet. The Kiffinless Trojans began to play some ball right after the departure of that well below par coach. They won't likely challenge the top three in the PAC 12 but could prove be a very dangerous team none the less.
15. Mississippi: The Rebs should have just enough in the tank for a top 20 finish. They will suffer some as any upper middle of the pack SEC team always does, but they are well coached and could surprise a few folk.
16. Miami: Could this be a break out year for the Canes? We will see. It has been a long time since Miami was a challenger for the top spot in the world of big time college ball and won't be this year but they should be a force in the ACC.
17. Missouri: The Tigers will be out the prove that last year wasn't some kind of fluke. They have lost some talent to be sure but the kids and staff have a taste of doing well in the big time.
18. Washington: Peterson comes to save the day. He may or may not wish he would have stayed in Idaho before all is said and done. A great coach no doubt but the bloom was beginning to fall off the rose his last couple of years in Boise. He jumped to "bigger and better" while his stock was still high.
19. Nebraska: They better do something. It is likely anything less than a top ten finish will save Pelini's job. They will win some games and should certainly be a top 25 club but breaking into the upper ten will not happen. Just won't.
20. Wisconsin: No matter who is at the helm you can bet Alvarez is still the man in charge. Their smash mouth type of play will win some games and perhaps challenge in the Big Ten but a top ten finish is unlikely.
21. Notre Dame: Coach has character issues and the Irish faithful will have to sit and watch another good squad languish in the lower ranks of the top 25.
22. Texas A&M: Sumlin is used to having a stellar QB taking his teams further than they should probably go both with the Aggies and his prior job in Houston. Don't see that on the horizon for him this season. We will see....
23. KSU: No one is picking the Wildcats for the top 25 but perhaps they should. Snyder's teams usually seem to do a lot with a little. The dual QB "controversy" of last year may or may not be a thing of the past as Sams has moved to another position. I would not be real surprised though to see him back behind center at some point of the season.
24. Duke: Another magical year in store for the Blue Devils? Maybe. A top 25 finish would be a major victory and the kids will be out to prove they are not perennial push overs in the ACC (and pretty much everyone else). Duke is a well coached club and may surprise some folks. Could just as easily go back to business as usual though.
25. Georgia: Mark better win this year or he is history. Like Pelini at Nebraska, the fans in Athens see nothing less than top 10 as a wasted season. Honestly those folks think nothing less than a SEC championship is junk. The Bulldogs will accomplish neither and the coaching staff will be pounding the pavement. Such is the way of big time college ball.
On the brink and in no particular order:
1. Arizona State: Needs some defense they say.
2. Texas: A lot of unanswered question in Austin.
3. Louisiana: The Cajuns will be the best of the Sun Belt and are well coached.
4. Rice: Opens with Notre Dame and is a sure loss they say. Hold up a minute on that I say. Will be a contender in the newfangled (and marginally weaker) CUSA and could roll into the top 25 if things go right.
5. Florida: Will have a good shot of reaching the top 25 but will not compete for the conference title. The coaching staff will be gone.
6. Houston: Will make a lot of noise noise in their weird new conference. As usual has a very good QB behind center and the coaching staff appears to be quite good.
7. Marshall: Either the Herd or the Owls will win CUSA and one of those might be a ranked squad.
8. North Carolina: OK. So they say.
9. Arkansas State: Again there is another head coach. The fifth in as many years I believe. The Red Wolves have had some good teams in the last few seasons but sooner or later this lack on continuity will trip them up. One thing is certain though. They are going to be the best team in the state.
10. Boise State: They are Petersonless for the first time in many years. They were down a bit last year but should still be considered the favorite to win the MWC. A top 25 finish not out of the question.
11. Louisville: Petrino is an ass and there is no dispute. He does know how to win though and that can't be disputed either.
12.Any number of MAC teams: There always seems to be a MAC squad flirting with the top 25. A couple years ago Northern Illinois actually broke into a big time bowl (for which they weren't really ready) and while it is highly unlikely that any squad from this conference will do that this season, it does not negate the fact that there are some pretty darn good and dangerous teams here. I would look for Northern Illinois, Ohio, Buffalo, Bowling Green, and Toledo to all have a shot. Might even throw Ball State or Akron into the mix.
13. UCF: Can they repeat the performance from last year? They might be a top 20 team before all is said and done.
14. Northwestern: They just seem to find a way to play above their talent level. Some years anyway.
A few teams were left out in the cold here, Cincinnati, Nevada, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Michigan and Virginia Tech come to mind, and any of them may well have a shot at the top 25. There always seems to be an unlikely addition to the upper ranks. Who would have thought that Duke (or Mizzou for that matter) would have had the success they did last season.
I hope you are looking forward to another good season of college ball as I am.
The Bartender Cabbie System however is based on half baked analysis of the college game, but has in the past proven to be just about as accurate as all these "professional" analysts. How does one get a paying gig doing that? Let me know.......
The 2014 Preseason Top 25
1. Florida State: May well be a repeat performance. There may (or may not) be some scumbaggery present in Tallahassee with some alleging that the administration and local constabulary covered up some unseemly behavior on the part of the young QB, but that has not been proven. Allegations they are and allegations is all they will ever be. Bank it. That aside, this team looks like a top notch SEC squad instead of ACC and when combined with a rather easy (as such things go) ACC schedule, well, the 'Noles should have a very good shot of appearing in the big game at the end.
2. Alabama: Nick will have another great product on the field. The fluke loss to Auburn deflated the kids likely and all the pep talks in the world probably didn't do much to overcome their disappointment of not again being the top team in the nation. They would be ranked number one in the Bartender Cabbie System had they not inexplicably hired one Lane Kiffin as OC. That is crazy.
3. Auburn: Perhaps Auburn should not have gone all the way to the big game season last. The fluke win over the Tide inflated them as much as it deflated the Alabama players. That being said, this team is led by one heck of a coaching staff, has top notch SEC talent, and could be right there at the end.
4. Oklahoma: The Sooners have a shot and no mistake. Kieth Ford Jr. may eventually prove to be one of the top backs in the country. The Big Twelve is not the SEC although it is arguably the second toughest conference and Oklahoma has an excellent shot of winning the conference but will find themselves beaten by one or more conference foes. It is what they do.
5. Oregon: The young gun is back and if he stays healthy he will win some games pretty much on his own. There are some up and coming dangerous teams in the mix in the PAC Twelve but the Ducks should be the best of the bunch.
6. Baylor: A possible Heisman contender at QB and an excellent coaching staff will have them competing for top spot in the Big Twelve.
7. Ohio State: This team should have been right there season last and should be right there upcoming. They won't. Something slightly off in Columbus. The coaching staff would be my guess. The Buckeyes perhaps will win the Big Ten but won't reach the national title game.
8. Michigan State: The team was under rated last year and was perhaps the second or third best team in the country when all was said and done. It would be a struggle perhaps to do just as well this season but I would not count them out.
9. Stanford: Will, as usual, be a force in the PAC 12 and the team has a very good shot of winning the conference.
10. South Carolina: This is not the easiest place to win but the "old ball coach" has had some what might be considered phenomenal success here. They will be a contender in the SEC.
11. LSU: Coach Miles is back again and will be loaded with talent and that talent will just not quite be enough to win the conference. As usual. They will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on more than one occasion.
12. UCLA: UCLA? Yes. Well coached and up and coming. Could be a dark horse to take it all in the PAC 12.
13. Clemson: A lot of talent lost they say. Will just be a step above the rest of the ACC pack the talk is. Perhaps. Perhaps not. The team is well coached and we will just have to wait and see. They won't knock FSU off their perch but they should be a force in conference play.
14. USC: You bet. The Kiffinless Trojans began to play some ball right after the departure of that well below par coach. They won't likely challenge the top three in the PAC 12 but could prove be a very dangerous team none the less.
15. Mississippi: The Rebs should have just enough in the tank for a top 20 finish. They will suffer some as any upper middle of the pack SEC team always does, but they are well coached and could surprise a few folk.
16. Miami: Could this be a break out year for the Canes? We will see. It has been a long time since Miami was a challenger for the top spot in the world of big time college ball and won't be this year but they should be a force in the ACC.
17. Missouri: The Tigers will be out the prove that last year wasn't some kind of fluke. They have lost some talent to be sure but the kids and staff have a taste of doing well in the big time.
18. Washington: Peterson comes to save the day. He may or may not wish he would have stayed in Idaho before all is said and done. A great coach no doubt but the bloom was beginning to fall off the rose his last couple of years in Boise. He jumped to "bigger and better" while his stock was still high.
19. Nebraska: They better do something. It is likely anything less than a top ten finish will save Pelini's job. They will win some games and should certainly be a top 25 club but breaking into the upper ten will not happen. Just won't.
20. Wisconsin: No matter who is at the helm you can bet Alvarez is still the man in charge. Their smash mouth type of play will win some games and perhaps challenge in the Big Ten but a top ten finish is unlikely.
21. Notre Dame: Coach has character issues and the Irish faithful will have to sit and watch another good squad languish in the lower ranks of the top 25.
22. Texas A&M: Sumlin is used to having a stellar QB taking his teams further than they should probably go both with the Aggies and his prior job in Houston. Don't see that on the horizon for him this season. We will see....
23. KSU: No one is picking the Wildcats for the top 25 but perhaps they should. Snyder's teams usually seem to do a lot with a little. The dual QB "controversy" of last year may or may not be a thing of the past as Sams has moved to another position. I would not be real surprised though to see him back behind center at some point of the season.
24. Duke: Another magical year in store for the Blue Devils? Maybe. A top 25 finish would be a major victory and the kids will be out to prove they are not perennial push overs in the ACC (and pretty much everyone else). Duke is a well coached club and may surprise some folks. Could just as easily go back to business as usual though.
25. Georgia: Mark better win this year or he is history. Like Pelini at Nebraska, the fans in Athens see nothing less than top 10 as a wasted season. Honestly those folks think nothing less than a SEC championship is junk. The Bulldogs will accomplish neither and the coaching staff will be pounding the pavement. Such is the way of big time college ball.
On the brink and in no particular order:
1. Arizona State: Needs some defense they say.
2. Texas: A lot of unanswered question in Austin.
3. Louisiana: The Cajuns will be the best of the Sun Belt and are well coached.
4. Rice: Opens with Notre Dame and is a sure loss they say. Hold up a minute on that I say. Will be a contender in the newfangled (and marginally weaker) CUSA and could roll into the top 25 if things go right.
5. Florida: Will have a good shot of reaching the top 25 but will not compete for the conference title. The coaching staff will be gone.
6. Houston: Will make a lot of noise noise in their weird new conference. As usual has a very good QB behind center and the coaching staff appears to be quite good.
7. Marshall: Either the Herd or the Owls will win CUSA and one of those might be a ranked squad.
8. North Carolina: OK. So they say.
9. Arkansas State: Again there is another head coach. The fifth in as many years I believe. The Red Wolves have had some good teams in the last few seasons but sooner or later this lack on continuity will trip them up. One thing is certain though. They are going to be the best team in the state.
10. Boise State: They are Petersonless for the first time in many years. They were down a bit last year but should still be considered the favorite to win the MWC. A top 25 finish not out of the question.
11. Louisville: Petrino is an ass and there is no dispute. He does know how to win though and that can't be disputed either.
12.Any number of MAC teams: There always seems to be a MAC squad flirting with the top 25. A couple years ago Northern Illinois actually broke into a big time bowl (for which they weren't really ready) and while it is highly unlikely that any squad from this conference will do that this season, it does not negate the fact that there are some pretty darn good and dangerous teams here. I would look for Northern Illinois, Ohio, Buffalo, Bowling Green, and Toledo to all have a shot. Might even throw Ball State or Akron into the mix.
13. UCF: Can they repeat the performance from last year? They might be a top 20 team before all is said and done.
14. Northwestern: They just seem to find a way to play above their talent level. Some years anyway.
A few teams were left out in the cold here, Cincinnati, Nevada, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Michigan and Virginia Tech come to mind, and any of them may well have a shot at the top 25. There always seems to be an unlikely addition to the upper ranks. Who would have thought that Duke (or Mizzou for that matter) would have had the success they did last season.
I hope you are looking forward to another good season of college ball as I am.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Truth and Questions From the Cab #7 with Rule 5
As usual there is a whole lot of things going on around the world and most of it bad. That being said it is high time for some truth and a few questions - Bartendercabbie style...
1. Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee has been rather quiet of late. Pity. We need some more comedy around here. One thing you can bet hasn't changed any..Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee is still a dumbass.
2. Young "Johnny Football" has not even thrown the first pass in the big time and already he is making a fool of himself. Cleveland needs a top QB in the worst way but this lad may further damage this bottom of the barrel program.
3. Realpolitik might dictate that the U.S. and the West just let the eastern part of Ukraine go. The folks there seem to identify with the Soviets and nothing short of genocide will likely change that. The nation state of Ukraine is risking a real war with Russia over this and, hard as it might be for Ukraine, they may think about just giving autonomy to the Russia speaking crowd. A war with a much larger and better equipped nation could sprout from this and the outcome would be easy to predict. Russia needs to be contained certainly but Eastern Ukraine may not be the place to make that stand. No this is not "peace in our time" type of appeasement but realpolitik in the first degree. To put it bluntly - Eastern Ukraine ain't Western Europe and is not worth fighting for.
4. The fighting in Gaza has reached a point where it is becoming a public relations nightmare for Israel. They should ignore this however and press on until Hamas is neutralized. Keep fools and nincompoops like Kerry, Obama, and company at bay and, at the very least, destroy the "military" capability of Hamas.
5. Folks have pointed out that some of the UN (and US) money that makes its way to Gaza goes right into the Hamas till. Does this mean that the UN, US, and others are indirectly (and perhaps directly) funding a terror organization? You know the answer to that don't you? I think you do.
6. What needs to be done with the ISIS crowd? (You know, those fine folks that have a penchant for moving their fellow citizens back to the dark ages (when they are not killing them)). At some point they will have to be crushed by someone. Simple as that. Or do you disagree?
7. George II should have left one S. Hussein in power.You know for balance of power and all that. Kind of late for that now. Isn't it? That ship sailed long ago.....
8. What is in a name? Nothing really, but don't you find it odd that the citizenry of this nation actually voted for a man (not once but twice) with the name of Barack Hussein Obama? Sounds sorta strange doesn't it? I don't think we would elect someone with the name of Heinrich Himmler Jones for any elected office no matter their party affiliation. Just be too weird. So how folks elected this Obama is a mystery to me. Wait, scratch that. I remember now.
9. Turkey will need to get back in the fold and ditch those Islamists that are "in charge" now. Why? The reasons are obvious. For starters radical Islam is a problem anywhere it sprouts whether that be Turkey, Iraq, or Dearborn, MI. Secondly (and perhaps most importantly) Turkey is a stalwart in containing Soviet err Russian aspirations. The Turks scare shit out of Russia and they need to stay affiliated with the West. Of course if Turkey does go the full Islamist route they will still be a potential, perhaps even more dangerous, problem for Russia but also would be a dangerous problem for nations to the west. Maybe Ankara should be made to understand that Constantinople would be forfeit if they continue to swing toward radical Islam? Just floating a trial balloon on that one. Why not? Everybody else does. What's that you say? Constantinople is no more? You say tomato I saw tomahhhhhto.
10. Are the Islamists that reside within the borders of Red China and Russia causing havoc be what we would call "good" Islamists? Is there even such a thing?
11. There are more Muslims at the Houston Galleria than there are on the Gaza Strip. Many of them seem to enjoy ice skating while wearing their "Free Palestine" t shirts. I believe there is money to be made by them, a business opportunity as it were, by putting on some sort of "Palestinians on Ice" show. Of course the proceeds and profits would be funneled to Hamas or some such (frankly Islamic Jihad just sounds much cooler but that is just personal opinion). What else could they do?
12. Yes yes I know that Hannity is often right on many subjects, but don't you find him to be somewhat of an ass?
13. Same could be said for Houston talk show "great" Michael Berry. Right on the money on most subjects but an arrogant ass none the less. At least folks don't speculate what Hannity was really doing in a rough trade gay bar (and subsequently allegedly banging (no pun) into someones car) after a difficult day at the office or whatnot. Same can't be said for Berry.
14. I have heard some folks say that John Kerry served in Vietnam enough times to believe it to be so.
15. To update the status of Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee it must be noted that the other day she supposedly said that no one was interested in impeaching George II. It is interesting that she was the one leading the charge in that direction. Her "spokesman" said she just misspoke. It is a shame she didn't say anything outrageously stupid and comical this time. She was just "mistaken." She needs to step up. We need some comedy in these parts.
16. The college football season fast approaches and I for one am looking forward to it. General consensus is that the top spot will come down to Oklahoma, Alabama, and FSU with perhaps Oregon, Michigan State, Ohio State or Auburn in the mix. This will perhaps be the top seven (in some order) but I for one would not rule out UCLA or Stanford.
17. The unfair and ridiculous BCS (not to be confused with the awesome Bartendercabbie System) has finally run the course. What is in store now is really, let us be honest, not much better. Either go with a real playoff (as the lower divisions do) or just go back to the old bowl system I say.
18. If your company is more interested in their employees "continuing their Enneagram education" instead of moving in the right direction then it might be time to look around. What is this Enneagram you may (or may not) ask? Some sort of pseudo scientific new agey thing masquerading as psychology (or something). May or may not get into this at another time.
19. The pressure is on for the Washington Redskins to change their name. The clamor has quieted down a bit of late but you can bet it is not going away. Taking a cue from all the politically correct nonsense, the Houston Independent School District has changed the names of a couple of schools. One was known as the Rebels I believe and another was some sort of Indian (tomahawk not dot) thing. Don't recall what the new names of the schools are, it falls into the "who cares" category. Political correctness run amuck is a problem in this country. Incidentally a district a few miles south of the big town (but still in the Houston, Galveston, Sugarland metro area) has no plans to change the name of one of their schools "at this time." I believe that school is also known as the Redskins. These folks appear to be standing their ground as it were. Hopefully the pro team in DC will do the same.
20. Is there any movie that Nicholas Cage has not been in?
21. How can one not like Michael Strahan?
How about some Rule 5? A couple of Asian movie actresses acceptable to you?
1. Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee has been rather quiet of late. Pity. We need some more comedy around here. One thing you can bet hasn't changed any..Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee is still a dumbass.
2. Young "Johnny Football" has not even thrown the first pass in the big time and already he is making a fool of himself. Cleveland needs a top QB in the worst way but this lad may further damage this bottom of the barrel program.
3. Realpolitik might dictate that the U.S. and the West just let the eastern part of Ukraine go. The folks there seem to identify with the Soviets and nothing short of genocide will likely change that. The nation state of Ukraine is risking a real war with Russia over this and, hard as it might be for Ukraine, they may think about just giving autonomy to the Russia speaking crowd. A war with a much larger and better equipped nation could sprout from this and the outcome would be easy to predict. Russia needs to be contained certainly but Eastern Ukraine may not be the place to make that stand. No this is not "peace in our time" type of appeasement but realpolitik in the first degree. To put it bluntly - Eastern Ukraine ain't Western Europe and is not worth fighting for.
4. The fighting in Gaza has reached a point where it is becoming a public relations nightmare for Israel. They should ignore this however and press on until Hamas is neutralized. Keep fools and nincompoops like Kerry, Obama, and company at bay and, at the very least, destroy the "military" capability of Hamas.
5. Folks have pointed out that some of the UN (and US) money that makes its way to Gaza goes right into the Hamas till. Does this mean that the UN, US, and others are indirectly (and perhaps directly) funding a terror organization? You know the answer to that don't you? I think you do.
6. What needs to be done with the ISIS crowd? (You know, those fine folks that have a penchant for moving their fellow citizens back to the dark ages (when they are not killing them)). At some point they will have to be crushed by someone. Simple as that. Or do you disagree?
7. George II should have left one S. Hussein in power.You know for balance of power and all that. Kind of late for that now. Isn't it? That ship sailed long ago.....
8. What is in a name? Nothing really, but don't you find it odd that the citizenry of this nation actually voted for a man (not once but twice) with the name of Barack Hussein Obama? Sounds sorta strange doesn't it? I don't think we would elect someone with the name of Heinrich Himmler Jones for any elected office no matter their party affiliation. Just be too weird. So how folks elected this Obama is a mystery to me. Wait, scratch that. I remember now.
9. Turkey will need to get back in the fold and ditch those Islamists that are "in charge" now. Why? The reasons are obvious. For starters radical Islam is a problem anywhere it sprouts whether that be Turkey, Iraq, or Dearborn, MI. Secondly (and perhaps most importantly) Turkey is a stalwart in containing Soviet err Russian aspirations. The Turks scare shit out of Russia and they need to stay affiliated with the West. Of course if Turkey does go the full Islamist route they will still be a potential, perhaps even more dangerous, problem for Russia but also would be a dangerous problem for nations to the west. Maybe Ankara should be made to understand that Constantinople would be forfeit if they continue to swing toward radical Islam? Just floating a trial balloon on that one. Why not? Everybody else does. What's that you say? Constantinople is no more? You say tomato I saw tomahhhhhto.
10. Are the Islamists that reside within the borders of Red China and Russia causing havoc be what we would call "good" Islamists? Is there even such a thing?
11. There are more Muslims at the Houston Galleria than there are on the Gaza Strip. Many of them seem to enjoy ice skating while wearing their "Free Palestine" t shirts. I believe there is money to be made by them, a business opportunity as it were, by putting on some sort of "Palestinians on Ice" show. Of course the proceeds and profits would be funneled to Hamas or some such (frankly Islamic Jihad just sounds much cooler but that is just personal opinion). What else could they do?
12. Yes yes I know that Hannity is often right on many subjects, but don't you find him to be somewhat of an ass?
13. Same could be said for Houston talk show "great" Michael Berry. Right on the money on most subjects but an arrogant ass none the less. At least folks don't speculate what Hannity was really doing in a rough trade gay bar (and subsequently allegedly banging (no pun) into someones car) after a difficult day at the office or whatnot. Same can't be said for Berry.
14. I have heard some folks say that John Kerry served in Vietnam enough times to believe it to be so.
15. To update the status of Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee it must be noted that the other day she supposedly said that no one was interested in impeaching George II. It is interesting that she was the one leading the charge in that direction. Her "spokesman" said she just misspoke. It is a shame she didn't say anything outrageously stupid and comical this time. She was just "mistaken." She needs to step up. We need some comedy in these parts.
16. The college football season fast approaches and I for one am looking forward to it. General consensus is that the top spot will come down to Oklahoma, Alabama, and FSU with perhaps Oregon, Michigan State, Ohio State or Auburn in the mix. This will perhaps be the top seven (in some order) but I for one would not rule out UCLA or Stanford.
17. The unfair and ridiculous BCS (not to be confused with the awesome Bartendercabbie System) has finally run the course. What is in store now is really, let us be honest, not much better. Either go with a real playoff (as the lower divisions do) or just go back to the old bowl system I say.
18. If your company is more interested in their employees "continuing their Enneagram education" instead of moving in the right direction then it might be time to look around. What is this Enneagram you may (or may not) ask? Some sort of pseudo scientific new agey thing masquerading as psychology (or something). May or may not get into this at another time.
19. The pressure is on for the Washington Redskins to change their name. The clamor has quieted down a bit of late but you can bet it is not going away. Taking a cue from all the politically correct nonsense, the Houston Independent School District has changed the names of a couple of schools. One was known as the Rebels I believe and another was some sort of Indian (tomahawk not dot) thing. Don't recall what the new names of the schools are, it falls into the "who cares" category. Political correctness run amuck is a problem in this country. Incidentally a district a few miles south of the big town (but still in the Houston, Galveston, Sugarland metro area) has no plans to change the name of one of their schools "at this time." I believe that school is also known as the Redskins. These folks appear to be standing their ground as it were. Hopefully the pro team in DC will do the same.
20. Is there any movie that Nicholas Cage has not been in?
21. How can one not like Michael Strahan?
How about some Rule 5? A couple of Asian movie actresses acceptable to you?
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