One reason to love the NFL

Link.

Before the season, the two teams that opened with the longest odds to win the Super Bowl were the Dolphins (250-1) and the Falcons (200-1). Now they're both in the playoffs.

The two preseason favorites -- the New England Patriots (2-1) and Dallas Cowboys (7-1) -- failed to reach the playoffs.

Veterans Day - 2008

More AD

The man's nickname is AD, for "All-Day." He lived up to his nickname on Sunday against the Packers, as he tookover the game on the last drive.

If he can stay healthy, he may very well go down as the greatest running back ever. Better than Brown, Payton, Sanders, Dickerson, Smith, Tomlinson. He has a long way to go, but I would not bet against this guy, someday, becoming the most legendary of the legends.

Video from his 192 effort in the Packers game, in which he took the lead in NFL rushing yardage, here.

Foreign op-ed reaction

From the Times of London.

On Tuesday night, with a countdown to precisely 10pm Chicago time, American democracy transformed in an instant not only the hopes and expectations of African Americans, but also the self-image of their country and their country’s image in the world. . .

One in 50 people on the planet voted in this election, but it was truly a global political event. This is not just because of the openness of the American electoral system and of its voters’ yearnings. It is not just because of the theatricality of the marathon campaigns, or because, despite its soaring deficits and disastrous loss of prestige in the Iraq war, the US remains the most powerful nation on earth.

The world has been fascinated and profoundly moved by this election most of all because of what America is — a nation founded on universal aspirations, and thus a mirror to humanity.

President-elect

The new chapter of American history begins.

Obama for President

In 2004, I unenthusiastically opted to vote for Bush for the reasons given here. This year is so different in so many ways starting with the fact that, while I disliked both of the choices in 2004, I like both of the choices this year. But in the end, I have decided that Obama is going to get my vote. Here is why.

1. In my opinion, McCain exercised horrible judgment in picking Palin. It was a stunt designed to energize the “base.” McCain’s health is an obvious concern, and for me he needed to pick a seasoned person who I could see being president. He failed.

2. The entire McCain campaign has been marked by stunts. I found the proposed gas tax holiday to be particularly obnoxious and pandering. Obama earned points with me for refusing, in the face of being double-teamed by Hillary and McCain, to agree to that bad policy proposal for political reasons. More generally, I think that Obama has acted amazingly presidential throughout this whole process, something that I can not say about McCain. The relative presidential auras of each also came through to me during the debates, and I don’t think it was even close.

3. Obama made an excellent choice in Biden. The man runs on at the mouth sometimes, but I would be comfortable with him as president and he brings actual governing qualities to the table.

4. I believe that Obama’s election would have a profound positive impact in this country and around the world. It would remind the world that this is the greatest country on earth. It would generate more goodwill than $1,000,000,000,000 in foreign aid could generate. And it would remind every kid in this growingly diverse country that you can be the best that you can be. Of course, all of this is because he is black. Although his skin color certainly is not the reason to vote for him, the fringe benefits that would accompany his election would be vast and immeasurable.

5. In the end, I look for something deeper in my presidential candidates than policy proposals and ideology. Above all else, I value common sense. So I ask myself “if I was not able to make a major decision for myself that has nothing to do with politics or ideology, which of the candidates would I most trust to make that decision for me and do what I would do?” It is an instinctive, intuitive feeling. In the 1990s, my instincts led me to vote for Clinton. In the 2000s, my instincts led me to despair, but ultimately to Bush. In 2008, my instincts point to Obama.

So this year, unlike in 2004, I will cast my vote with enthusiasm and with the hope that 2009 will represent the year we started a new and exciting chapter in American history.

(For substantially similar cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

UPDATE: It turns out the my favorite former Minnesota governor has endorsed Obama.

Gripe/consumer warning

One of the nice things about having a blog is that I can complain and no one actually has to listen.

Last week, we decided to buy a used pool table. I contacted a mover, Game Room Gallery, in Burnsville, MN, based on a Craigslist ad, and the ad and over the phone price of $200 for the move was quoted. Today, the table was moved, after which the cheats at Game Room Gallery demanded $275, and said "$200 was the September price." Needless to say (if you know me), they got an earful, and left with $200.

In sum, (1) they didn't get any extra money, (2) they lost my return business forever, and (3) they are getting free publicity here for being the stupidest businesspeople alive. Nice business plan. Assholes.

Fat lady

This thing is over. Good. We are going to turn a new page in the history of this country. The time is right.

The latest on Hillary

I know that there is a presidential campaign in progress and the markets are on the brink of collapse, but shouldn't this story be getting more attention? Link.

Changing world

David Brooks.

After a liberal era and then a conservative era, we’re getting a glimpse of what comes next.

SNL - Gold

Tina Fey is brilliant as Sarah Palin. She has the voice and mannerisms down perfectly.

Daunte Culpepper

I have lost all respect for him. Here is his retirement letter.

He made more than $5,000,000 dollars a year in his last contract (yes, he could get hurt but, playing a game, he made more in a year than I will in a career as a lawyer) and he acts like a victim who was paid minimum wage to clean toilets, and he leaves pouting. Astounding.

Blaming

This is just pathetic.

The US women's gymnastics team blamed stadium officials Wednesday for distracting one of their athletes who went on to make crucial mistakes that destroyed their gold medal hopes.

China won its showdown with the United States after Alicia Sacramone fell off the balance beam then slipped over during the floor exercise, opening the way for the home team to post a narrow 2.375 point victory.

US team coordinator Martha Karolyi said officials at Beijing's National Indoor Stadium had disrupted Sacramone's preparations for the beam.

"First they called her name up, then they did not even put her name up even though the Chinese had finished ... (it was) totally unusual holding," she said.

"She was mentally prepared and then she had a mental break, then after not doing the job, the beam, on the floor exercise her concentration was bothered."

Karolyi insisted the world champion US team would have won gold if Sacramone had not become unsettled.

As an American, I'm embarrassed.

Grumble

We decided to get a new Kinetico water softener. When I got the contract (1) it stated that under no circumstances could the terms be modified, (2) I had to pay 100% in advance, (3) omitted any representation that the installation would be successful, and (4) contained untrue statements (e.g., that we had already been given the owners' manual). When I attempted to discuss these issues, I was advised that was a "big red flag" (their exact words) that I could be a problem customer and they didn't want my business. Surreal.

Stop it

These types of headlines make me want to hit my head with a hammer.

Does No One Care About Matt Jones' Cocaine Arrest Because He's White?

Are you kidding? First of all, most of us who are even sports fans have never heard of Matt Jones. Second, try this one: "Did Everyone Care About Gary Condit Because He is White?"

Racism is real. Feigned indignation about imagined racism makes a mockery of the issue.

Edwards

I have never understood the appeal of John Edwards. To me, he has always come across as a complete narcist phony. It never computed for me that he could gain political traction in a presidential race, but a guy like Chris Dodd could not. Michael Kinsley, in an email to Micky Kaus, opines that the MSM should issue a formal "correction" to its past Edwards' reporting.

AS for your laundry list of reasons to cover it, I think there's one more much simpler: the MSM told a story about Edwards—they told it often and loud—it was probably one of the best-known and totally accepted stories of the 2008 campaign: John loyally standing by his loyal wife as she deals with cancer. If the story isn't true, they should run a correction. My god, look at the things they run corrections over—the spelling of people's names, and so on. Yet they're leaving this huge story uncorrected, and leaving their readers misinformed. No?

I never bought the story, but the liberal Kinsley still makes an interesting point.

Oh, and if I were an Edwards' campaign contributor, I would sue him for fraud.

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

08/08/08

Reasons to enjoy this date:
1. It is my daughter's birthday; she is now 7 (going on 15).
2. The Olympics start.
3. The weather here is perfect.

Unlikely cause

Link.

Bill Clinton made a plea yesterday for a new emphasis on monogamy . . .

Reunion with lion in the wild

This is the latest YouTube hit. For animal lovers, it is quite touching. Obviously, David Gregory is not an animal lover, although his final comment was funny.

JibJab

The new JibJab video is out. I don't think it is nearly as good as this one from 2004, but it is still entertaining.

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Not helping

The number of people who have seen this "tasteless and offensive" cartoon is now exponentially greater than it would have been if this whole dust-up had not been blown completely out of proportion. And since the theory is that pictures speak louder than words, endless complaints that draw more attention to the cartoon are counterproductive, at least if you are an Obama supporter. Just let it go. It is satire, for Pete's sake.

Hire me

Which police officer is going to cost his city the most money in the litigation that is coming? This one, who arrested a grandmother for prostitution while she was walking to the emergency room, because she allegedly was carrying a condom (which she denies)? Or this one, who arrested a guy for taking the officer's picture in public?

Beer = life

George Will.

Suffice it to say that the good news is really good: Beer is a health food. And you do not need to buy it from those wan, unhealthy-looking people who, peering disapprovingly at you through rimless Trotsky-style spectacles, seem to run all the health food stores. So let there be no more loose talk -- especially not now, with summer arriving -- about beer not being essential. Benjamin Franklin was, as usual, on to something when he said, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Hooplehead of the day

Jesse Ventura.

All you Minnesotans take a good hard look at all three of us [Sen. Coleman, Franken and Ventura]. And you decide: if you were in a dark alley which one of the three of us would you want with you?

Clearly, given the rough and tumble nature of the Senate, the ultimate question will be who can physically beat up other Senators.

Bunny vs. Snake

You will be surprised how this little spat goes.

Our political discourse

The state of political discourse in this country is embarrassing. I guess that it is an inevitable consequence of the fact that presidential campaigns last 2 years, and blogs and cable news require an outrage-of-the-day to generate readers and viewers.

The most recent dust-up involves Wes Clark's comments over the weekend on Face the Nation (offending comments in bold).

CLARK: He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, "I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not, do you want to take the risk, what about your reputation, how do we handle this publicly? He hasn't made those calls, Bob.

SCHIEFFER: Can I just interrupt you? I have to say, Barack Obama hasn't had any of these experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.

CLARK: I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.

Although Clark's comment was undisciplined and he should have known better, the context demonstrates that he was making a valid argument (i.e., that McCain's misfortune does not somehow mean that he is more qualified to lead the nation than Obama). You may agree or disagree with that argument, but the argument itself is not offensive.

Let's move on.

A survival guide for the political season

Today Now!: How To Pretend You Give A Shit About The Election

Takes one to know one

Super-blogger Markos calls Joe Lieberman an "asshole" and then brags about it. I'm trying to think of a word to describe Markos. Hmmm.

Why people hate airlines

Today I am flying from Minneapolis to Grand Rapids, Michigan. My client is paying an astounding $1,300 for my round-trip ticket. So today I go to check-in online and find that I have been assigned a middle seat, even though plenty of aisle and window seats remained available. Of course, I changed my seat assignment, but why should I have to jump through that hoop? These people are just stupid. No wonder every airline seems to make a trip to bankruptcy court every 10 years.

Handedness

This interesting article identifies yet another obstacle between me and the Oval Office.

Spam

My spam filter keeps spam-detected emails for 30 days. I currently have 2284 emails in my spam filter. That is an average of approximately 76 spam emails a day. Think about that. I am not sure if I am more astounded in the volume of crap that is sent to me, or more thankful that I don't see 98% of it. Unfortunately, 2% still find a way to get through.

Major Number 14

Link.

SAN DIEGO — He has won four Masters titles, the first one by 12 strokes. He has won three United States Opens, the first by 15 strokes. He has won three British Opens, the first by eight strokes. He has won four P.G.A. Championships, one of them by five strokes.

Yet on Monday, in a playoff for the 108th United States Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course, Tiger Woods matched Rocco Mediate with a par-71 before parring the first sudden-death playoff hole to win a 19-hole struggle. Woods called it “probably the greatest tournament I’ve ever had.”

During my lifetime I have seen many remarkable athletes do remarkable things. Ali, Gretzky, Jordan, Brady, Bonds*. But Tiger is the most remarkable of all.

Obama vs. McCain

Thankfully, I forget 99.999% of punditry within 48 hours of reading it. But this one has stuck with me since January, so I bring it back now:

Columbia, South Carolina — I went to Barack Obama’s rally here, on Sunday night, with a Republican friend who had never seen the Illinois senator in action before. Watching the crowd of more than 3,000 fill up the convention center, watching the people send up waves of energy to Obama, and watching him play off that energy in a speech that was one of the best political performances anyone has seen this year, my Republican friend said, simply, “Oh, s—t.” He recalled the scene from Jaws, in which the small seaside town’s sheriff realizes how big the shark he’s tracking truly is, and says, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” What my friend didn’t have to say was that he was deeply worried that Republicans just don’t have a bigger boat.

I must admit, at the time that article was one that started the adjustment in my thinking about the real possibilities of an Obama candidacy. At the time, I thought I was fairly solid for McCain, but I was open to revisiting that position. Minnesota held its caucus on Super Tuesday and we opted to go to the Democratic caucus and vote for Obama because we thought that he would need our help here (which was wrong) and McCain would not need our help here (which was wrong).

So what are the real possibilities of an Obama presidency? First, we get $800 trillion in immediate goodwill from around the world. I would like to hear from everyone who predicted that a black guy with a middle name of "Hussein" might be elected POTUS just 7 years after 9/11 and 4.5 years after pulling Saddam out of a spider-hole. Second, we get a potential for things to get done domestically. Of course, "get done" is nothing without specifics. That is where I start to get nervous (again) about Obama.

So what are the risks of an Obama presidency? I have two inter-related concerns. First, Obama is raw when it comes to national security and, second, if he wins he is likely to have comfortable majorities in both the House and the Senate. I'm not sure that I like the idea of a giving the Democrats complete control to do whatever they want over both national security and domestic policy.

It sucks to live in a democracy and have to sort through this stuff.

Two thousand words

Goodbye.












Hello.

Who said this?

Quote.

Well, why, all of a sudden, if he had all these grave concerns, did he not raise these sooner? This is one-and-a-half years after he left the administration. And now, all of a sudden, he's raising these grave concerns that he claims he had. And I think you have to look at some of the facts. One, he is bringing this up in the heat of a presidential campaign. He has written a book and he certainly wants to go out there and promote that book.

The answer is Scott McClellan, reacting to Richard Clarke's book in 2004.

RIP - Harvey Korman

Harvey Korman has died.

I remember one night when I was still in junior high school when friends and I stayed up all night watching Blazing Saddles over and over again. And I grew up with The Carol Burnett Show. The man was a unique talent.

Hooplehead of the day

Susan Sarandon. Why the media pays any attention to the goofy political views of the likes of her or Sean Penn is beyond me.

Flying penis interrupts speech

This might be the strangest thing that I have ever seen.

Incoherent quote of the day

Sean Penn.

”I hope that [Obama] will understand, if he is the nominee, the degree of disillusionment that will happen if he doesn't become a greater man than he will ever be,” Penn said.

SNL: Hillary's pitch to the superdelegates

Kentucky Derby

I thought about putting up a post on this subject, but once again procrastination has paid off. Somebody else wrote it first (and better that I would have). I join this opinion.

The Onion

For those of you who don't regularly read The Onion, I would be negligent if I didn't direct you to this video.

McCain Declines Secret Service, Dares Assassins To Try Something

A painful truth

Link.

[B]logging tends to be the hobby of people with full-time jobs who do it because it’s more fun than stamp collecting.

Ouch. And for the record, I have never understood stamp collecting.

More Masters pictures

Jason cropped these pictures, some of which I had posted earlier. The guy in the top picture is supposed to be pretty good.

My Bucket List

This list has evolved over the last 20 years, but here is the current status.

1. Run a marathon.
2. Run a second marathon.
3. Walk a marathon with my wife.
4. See a practice round at the Masters and walk and experience Augusta National.
5. Jump out of an airplane.
6. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef or Caribbean.
7. Go to Rome.
8. Run a third marathon.

(No. 4 (Augusta) was completed this week and it was worth the effort. Pictures below.)

Out of date post

Below is a compilation of Adrian Peterson highlights from his rookie year. I post this now only so I can easily locate the video when I want to. But, if you are a pure football fan, you will still find it fun to watch.

The first season of the guy who has a chance to be one of the best ever.

The power of YouTube

I can't believe that this isn't going to become a problem for Hillary in the coming days.


UPDATE 4/9.08: Just FYI, this was fresh when I posted it. Time seems to suggest (as of the date of this update) that this complete and fully exposed lie will be looked back at as the thing that lost her any chance of the nomination. Personally, I think that it was one of the biggest political brain farts ever.

Thought of the day

The blindingly self-centered propensity of some people has always confused me, but what I find more confusing is why "we" often implicitly agree to live by the self-centered person's rules.

Oops

Jim Cramer, earlier last week, when Bear Stearns was at about $63 a share

On Sunday, J.P. Morgan announced a deal to buy the company for $2 a share.

Hooplehead of the day

Jesse Ventura.

Spitzer

This is a Spitzer commercial that ran in 2006. I'm sure that it was effective at the time, but now it seems comical.

Bad (but timely) joke

Link.

The phone rings. Hillary Rodham Clinton picks it up.

"Yes?"

"Hillary, it's Silda Wall Spitzer. Sorry to call so late. Eliot's still not home. Based on your experience, what should I do?"

Minnesota Senate Race

The race in Minnesota for the Democratic candidate to face incumbent (and former Democrat) Sen. Norm Coleman has abruptly ended. The Democratic candidate will be Al Franken. Does God hate Minnesota? Wasn't Jesse Ventura our practical joke? Can't we laugh at somebody else this time?

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Hooplehead of the day

Recently, I started watching on DVD the HBO series Deadwood , a fictional series based on real people (including Wild Bill Hickok). Bad guy Al Swearengen is a main character, and he describes anyone who he considers to be an idiot as a "hooplehead." I have become fond of that term, so I introduce a new feature, the Hooplehead of the Day. Today's winner is PGA Tour golfer Tripp Isenhour. Link.

UPDATE: I will only call attention to public figures. Stupid criminals, etc. aren't eligible.

Subprime mess

I currently spend many hours per day working on matters related to the subprime mess. I have sat through countless mind-numbing presentations regarding how and why this mess developed. By far the best explanation I have found is here. It will take you 3 minutes to go through, you will laugh your butt off, and you will be genuinely better informed when you are done. So go; you will not regret it. (Warning: Some rough language.)

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Late breaking news

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Romney

Here is another reason why I am so glad this guy is gone from the race.

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

I'm hawkish, but this is slander. "Surrender" if Obama or Clinton become president? I dislike this man, very much.

Super-delegates

Link.

We've done a bad job of explaing this, but it is now basically mathematically impossible for either Clinton or Obama to win the nomination through the regular voting process (meaning the super-delegates decide this one, baby!).

Here's the math. There are 3,253 pledged delegates, those doled out based on actual voting in primaries and caucuses. And you need 2,025 to win the nomination.

To date, about 55% of those 3,253 delegates have been pledged in the voting process -- with Clinton and Obamb roughly splitting them at about 900 delegates a piece.

That means there are now only about 1,400 delegates left up for grabs in the remaining states and territories voting.

So, do the math. If they both have about 900 pledged delegates so far, they need to win more than 1,100 of the remaining 1,400 delegates to win the nomination through actual voting.

Ain't gonna happen, barring a stunning scandal or some new crazy revelation. So, they'll keep fighting this thing out, each accumulating their chunk of delegates, one of them holding a slight edge and bothing finishing the voting process with 1,600 or so delegates.

And then the super delegates decide this thing.

That's the math.

Sound logic, as far as I can tell. This year is going to so much more interesting than 2004. (Via Political Wire.)

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Snark

Social issues don't drive my vote. But Mr. Romney's willingness to flip-flop on just about every hot-button social issue tells me all I need to know about the man. Vote McCain, or Vote Obama. Please don't vote for this used car salesman.

The enemy we face

Pure evil.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said.

The bombs killed at least 98 people and wounded more than 200 at two popular pet markets on the holiest day of the week for Muslims, authorities said.

In both bombings, the attackers were mentally disabled women whose explosive belts were remotely detonated, Gen. Qasim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's security plan, told state television. . .

On second thought, the pure evil aspect might be surpassed by the pure cowardice aspect.

Interesting

My blue eyes are the result of a genetic mutation.

(Belated) MLK Day post

We were traveling back from Florida yesterday, so I'm a day late with this. If you haven't seen his "I Have a Dream" speech in its entirety before, you can here.

Remarkable still, 45 years later.

"It's my turn (again)"!!!!!!

I'm not a Hillary hater. In fact, I could see myself voting for her if the Republicans nominate anyone but McCain. But the sense of entitlement that her husband feels is breathtaking. See here.

Test #2

You know what CEO and CFO stand for. But do you know what CBO stands for?

Answer.

Test

Is it real or is it from The Onion?

Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, who has made predicting the future an annual tradition, predicts a recession and a major stock market upheaval are on their way for the United States. . .

But don't unload your portfolio just yet. Robertson acknowledged Wednesday that his prophecy of a nuclear terror attack in 2007 failed to unfold.

He also cited information from God when he predicted on a year go that major U.S. cities would be hit by "very serious terrorist attacks" causing "possibly millions" of deaths.

No such catastrophe occurred.

"All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us," Robertson said on "The 700 Club," a television show he hosts on the Christian Broadcasting Network, based in Virginia Beach.

"So did I miss it? Possibly," he said of his unrealized prediction. "Or, on the other hand, did God avert it? Possibly. But whatever, it didn't happen, so I think we can all rejoice."

On Wednesday, Robertson, 77, implied that God informed him who will be elected president in November.

"He told me some things about the election, but I'm not going to say, because some old man on "60 Minutes" would make fun of me, so I'm not going to tell you who the winner's going to be," Robertson said, in apparent reference to CBS humorist Andy Rooney, who turns 89 on Jan. 14.

Answer here.