Coach Roy's Random Thoughts....
Created With Quick Blogcast
7 Wins for Postseason Bowling?
There's an article on the CBS Sports Website - The NCAA might Require 7 wins for a team to achieve post season college bowl Eligibility
The article does raise the possibility that several of the present bowls might have to go away.
Now, besides the fact that this rule change appears aimed at both the Big 10 (12) and the SEC....
Requiring a winning record to become bowl eligible is probably a good thing, altho it could potentially cut down my alma mater's (Northwestern's) bowl appearances but maybe it would help us finally win one again. An NU 7-5 team coming out of the Big 10 would be potentially playing a more closely matched team from somewhere else.
But the loss of bowls means we wouldn't have the Papa John's Vegetarian
Pizza Bowl any more? Or the Stihl Chainsaw Humanitarian Bowl? (that's about what the lesser bowls have become)
Yes, the NCAA should allow December (or early January)
practices to level the field a bit. My only concern is for the players who are
hurt at the end of the season.
There might be a tendency for underclassmen who are dinged up from the season, to practice when they should be mending. A kid who is hurting might needlessly strain an injury in an attempt to maintain his position going into the Spring Drills.
But as long as teams use the December Bowl workups to actually train next year's starters, fairness dictates that either they reduce the number of those pre-bowl practices, force the teams to work on their starters the same as they would during the regular season, or let everyone have the December practices.
IMHO of course.
Where Does Newt Go?
But I'm starting to get a little upset with all the media sniping at Newt Gingrich over the so called Ethics Violations he was accused of, then was exonerated over, because he taught a class on politics and political theory during his time as Speaker of the House.
I guess the Demos were upset that they hadn't thought of it first, although you can make the case that every other PolySci course in college is a ringing endorsement of big government, and social engineering - things central to a Democrat Party regime.
However, if you really want to find about all this, check out Byron York's piece in the Washington Examiner:
If you read it, you will come away thinking that the Democrats in the House are still a bunch of sore losers. Ms. Pelosi, the WWE, hints at more exciting goodies to come out of her reading of the files, but it's probably more of the titillating trash that is a hallmark of any Obama political campaign (Thanks Mr. Ayers).
And to echo the words of that former Republican Administration Cabinet Secretary, "Where do I go to get my reputation back?"
Is he a Marxist? or a Muslim?
You see it is very hard to be both.
It is similar to the Holy Roman Empire, something that may have had its roots in Rome, but was far from "holy" as Christians now believe while singing "Holy, Holy, Holy..."
Marxism, while actually described in the New Testament (Acts), at its core denies the belief in ANY god, be he (or she) be called Allah, Jehovah, The God of Israel, The Father of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus, I mean any and every god save the overwhelming power of masses. Remember, "Workers of the World, Unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains?" The people will achieve some kind of "heaven on earth" run by "the people" for "the people."
True perfect Marxism has no government, and no leadership. It exists as some kind of heaven on earth where everyone works to provide for the common good, regardless of what that common good is. Yes, you need a dictatorship to impose the masses' will on everyone else, but that is supposed to fall away, eventually.
The problem is that once you get the masses all worked up against the present leaders, and that someone rises up to direct those masses towards the eventual goal - how does the leader know when to step down? When the people throw the leader out? And guess who takes over after the coup?
Islam is another of man's attempt to bring some idea of heaven to earth.
The "Prophet" determined how people of Arabia should live so they could share the wealth and live in harmony. Interesting that along the way, this "pure" idea required people to force adherence to the life of Islam and to execute those who didn't follow the rules. To ensure everyone followed the rules, leaders had to arise from the masses.
In both systems, the people who are leading the masses to the great awakening of truth and harmony must always be held in higher esteem. The language used to honor and bless the Prophet is very similar to that which was used to describe Lenin and Stalin.
Read their biographies and they are all ruthless killers of those who do not agree with them 100%, and it doesn't seem to matter to the true believers.
In both systems, the need for leaders and even government is supposed to fade away as the believers practice the belief more fully, and in both systems, it appears that you can tell the masses anything to get them to follow you because the end, which is greatly desired, justifies the means of gaining power.
Americans rejected this pure sharing of everything back in the early Massachusetts Colony. They found out that while some believed in heaven on earth, those people also believed that they should sit around and discuss theology, rather than go out in the field and hoe the corn. They were about to starve, when the leaders figured out that each person had to have something personal to work for if the colony was going to succeed.
Communal living always sounds so good. Unfortunately, we are only human.
Most people, no matter who they are, have always wanted to either be the leader, or follow a leader. Its wired in our DNA, it was how God made us.
So we come to the present occupant of the White House.
He sure acts like he is a closet Muslim, after all if he is, he is allowed to lie about his beliefs if it lets him take and expand control in the name of Allah.
But Allah doesn't allow Abortion, homosexuality, adultery, it doesn't allow drinking alcohol, doesn't allow many of the things that Mr. Obama seems to embrace, or at least his supporters do. Read the Koran, murder is almost immediately punishable by death, ask any democrat about following that part of Sharia Law.
If I had to guess, I would say that the President, along with most of the present administration are truly State Socialists - they believe that they are so much smarter than the rest of us, that they should be the final word on everyone's actions and control everyone else's activities in public, at home, in short everywhere. They want a command economy, where the gracious leader commands and factories produce.
Their goal is some kind of "heaven on earth" where outcomes are always equal, even though opportunities and the people taking them are not.
Oh yes, and THEY will always be in control.
Living in the Past 2012
Isn't that what our present occupant of the White House and his minions are doing again and again?
- Remember the Franklin Roosevelt spent his first term blaming Herbert Hoover for every ill in the nation.He got re-elected twice! That was in the past.
- Remember that Harry Truman won a second term over Thomas Dewey by railing against a Republican Do-Nothing Congress. He got elected too, something else from the past.
- Remember that Mr. Obama won his first election in Chicago by digging up dirt on his opponent. Mr. Ayers helped with that one. He got elected, and that was in the past.
- Remember that Mr. Obama then dug up some dirt from the divorce of his Republican opponent when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won that one too. (hint: the past)
- I was waiting for the "dirt" on John McCain, but by then it was all "Hope and Change" - McCain didn't have a chance and Mr. Obama didn't need to dig out McCain's dalliances that had been rumored during his time in DC- besides, it was all George Bush's fault - still in the past.
So now two Republican presidential candidates, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have suddenly had disparaging information of a sexual nature turn up in the media - at least Newt has the verbal skills and ability to strike back while Mitt Romney plays Obama surrogate on this issue.
And we have conservative republicans attacking former venture capitalist Mitt Romney for providing money to businesses in financial trouble and ex-wives dishing out the dirt about their husband's activities that pale in comparison to some of the past shenanigans in the White House.
The whole primary process this year has
me yearning for the old "smoke filled rooms" where candidates used to be
vetted and selected.
Yup, I can hear that 5/4 beat; "Now there's revolution, but they don't know what they're fighting, Let us close our eyes, Outside their lives go on much faster, Oh, we won't give in, we'll just go living in the past."
You tell 'em Ian
Tinker, Tailor, Rich Man, Poor Man
If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").
"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.
But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.
George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.
As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.
Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.
It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.
And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.
At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.
R. Burk Hill: Can Anything Good Come From ...
Based on John 1: 43-51 (Jesus calls Philip, who calls his brother Nathanael)
Download | Duration: 00:20:40
Parsons: Meditation for Organ
Recorded 1-15-2012 on the Flentrop Organ, Messiah Lutheran Church, Germantown, MD
Download | Duration: 00:04:21
Messiah Gallery Choir: Come Follow Me the Savior Spake
Text: Johann Scheffler tr: Charles W. Schaeffer
Music: Bartholomaus Gesius Setting J.S. Bach
Download | Duration: 00:02:03
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012
Triskadecaphobics Unite!, you have nothing to lose but your freedom to worry - besides things in DC are scary enough.[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
Gallup: Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.
[Gee, maybe Rush is Right? Again?]
Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11
Americans See Views of GOP Candidates Closer to Their Own
Americans' Economic Worries: Jobs, Debt, and Politicians
DE Officials hand out $131,500 in bonuses
[And this was just in Delaware!]
Del. lawmakers eye minimum-wage hike
(WTW) Democratic lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill in the state Senate that would raise Delaware's minimum wage by a dollar.
[Its an election year, after all]
Vatz: Republican Gov. Haley Barbour: Despicably and Indefensibly Putting Innocent Lives at Risk
(Richard E. Vatz - Red Maryland) Lest you think that all the worst abuses of governmental power are committed by liberal Democrats, take a look at the reprehensible action by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour as he left office. The Christian Science Monitor sums it up this way: "Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour (R) gave reprieves to 208 inmates, including 14 convicted murderers, prompting Democratic legislators to reintroduce a bill that would curb pardon powers."
Obama to propose merging agencies
[Especially the ones with Republican ties...]
Presidential Election Department:
Morning Examiner: Obama's endless power to appoint (Conn Carroll - Wash Examiner) President Obama’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) released its opinion yesterday justifying Obama’s January 4 “recess” appointments (Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to the National Labor Relations Board). The memo is dated January 6th, but the Department of justice insists it was completed well before Obama made the appointments. The Heritage Foundation’s Todd Gaziano explains why the decision will not hold up in court:
Video: Obama Called Smaller Bush Debt Rise “Unpatriotic”
(White House Dossier.com) The new borrowing requested by the CURRENT president would raise the debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion. The debt stood at $10.6 trillion when Obama took office. That’s an increase of $5.8 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than the “unpatriotic” figure cited by Obama in the video.Rudy Giuliani: 'What the hell are you doing Newt?'
Video: Michelle Obama Would Like You To Know That The Reason You Don't Like Her Husband Is Because You Are Too Stupid To Know How Awesome He Is.
New Book Claims Obama Complained About Taking Pictures With Troops During Trip to Baghdad
(The Blaze) Author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Michael Hastings’ new book, The Operators, could cause waves for President Obama’s reelection bid — not to mention his already tenuous relationship with U.S. troops — as book excerpts reveal the president was less than enthused to be photographed with troops during a visit to Baghdad.
Law of Unintended Consequences:
Video: Dead People Receive Ballots in NH Primary
(Project Veritas) On January 10th, Project Veritas reporters walked into New Hampshire Polling Locations during the Presidential Primaries, saying dead people's names. We stated the name of a dead person we got from the NH obituaries.
The Media
John Podhoretz, Ann Coulter, Mitt Romney and Real Life Conservatives vs Professional Conservatives
(PJ Media) John Podhoretz - Why are conservatives lining up behind a politician of whom Rush Limbaugh has said flatly: “Mitt Romney is not a conservative” — a sentiment echoed by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Iowa caucuses winner?
Video: Soledad O’Brien Hammers Jodi Kantor Over Her Controversial Book On The Obamas
(MediaIte) Soledad O’Brien welcomed The Obamas author Jodi Kantor on Starting Point Friday morning, and things got a little heated as O’Brien continuously tried to ask Kantor to defend her methodology in reporting the book.
World View
El Presidente Chávez and President Obama
(PJ Media) President Obama is no el Presidente Chávez. It may be extreme to suggest that if reelected and given Democrat majorities in both houses of the Congress he might morph in that direction. However, the U.S. Constitution seems of little importance to him when it gets in his way. Having Venezuela’s Constitution amended to suit his purposes has been easier for Chávez although he also ignores it when convenient. Amending the U.S. Constitution is a difficult task requiring a substantial consensus. Simply ignoring it when it suits President Obama’s purposes has been much easier.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
The ‘Green’ Debate: President Obama Praises the EPA for Growing the Economy and GM Refuses to Admit the Volt Was a Flop
(The Blaze) Speaking before a throng of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees on Tuesday, President Barack Obama praised the agency for helping to grow the U.S. economy.
Popular Culture, etc.:
Friday the 13th times three
(Wilm News Journal) But when a Friday the 13th rolls around, a few will stop to peruse her selection of crystals. The objects are said to realign the vibrations of your body with the changes in the metaphysical world, Barbato said.
Religious leaders: Gay marriage a ‘peril’ to liberty
(Wash Times) Nearly 40 religious leaders, including Catholic, evangelical, Jewish and Mormon figures, issued an open letter Thursday that argues that the battle against same-sex marriage is a fight on behalf of religious freedom.
Business
Chamber of Commerce to Obama: You ‘Missed the Biggest In-Sourcing Opportunity’ —Keystone Pipeline
(CNSNews.com) – While President Barack Obama has been touting the importance of “insourcing” jobs into the United States (as opposed to outsourcing jobs overseas), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reminded America on Thursday that Obama recently rejected one of the most prominent and beneficial insourced opportunities: the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil through middle America to refineries on the Gulf Coast and create at least 20,000 jobs.
Union fight pits rights of free speech, private land
(The Washington Times) With a full complement of members after President Obama’s recent recess appointments, the National Labor Relations Board could soon rule on a closely watched labor law case with major implications for property rights, union organizing tactics and even what workers can write about on their company email accounts.
Military Stuff
US stations two aircraft carriers opposite Iran, 15,000 troops in Kuwait
(DEBKA File) US President Barack Obama is busy aligning Middle East allies with the next US steps on Iran. Contributing to the mounting sense in Washington of an approaching US-Iranian confrontation, the Pentagon is substantially building up its combat power around Iran, stationing nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait - two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit – and keeping two aircraft carriers in the region.
[So much for withdrawing the troops]
Panetta: 2 Army combat brigades will leave Europe
(Stars & Stripes) STUTTGART, Germany — Two U.S. Army combat brigades will be withdrawn from Europe as part of a new Pentagon defense strategy that aims to find efficiencies while also shifting more strategic focus to Asia.
[Will be several days away from reacting to events in Middle East and Europe]
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012
As the game rolls on -[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
O'Malley says he wants increase in sales tax
(Wash Examiner) ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday he would like to raise the state's sales tax by a penny, putting another revenue source on the table in a new General Assembly session expected to produce extensively higher taxes for Marylanders.
[Tax and Spend, Spend and Tax, and a couple of tra la la's
Its how we pass the day away in the merry old land of Annapolis]
Is Obama Courting Dead Voters?
(White House Dossier) An outfit called Project Veritas – run by James O’Keefe, who made the videos that brought down ACORN – ran a little experiment in New Hampshire Tuesday and found that without voter ID requirements, dead people were offered a rare opportunity to participate in the political process.
Presidential Election Department:
Shapiro: Keep Their Feet to the Fire
(Ben Shapiro-CNS News)Assuming Mitt Romney wins the nomination and somehow wins the White House, most conservatives will be ready to box him about the ears as soon as he steps out of line.
KUHNER: Dynamic capitalism is a virtue
(Wash Times - Jeff Kuhner) Mitt Romney has won a major victory in New Hampshire. He is the first non-incumbent Republican to capture both Iowa and the Granite State - a historic achievement. He has the money, momentum, organization and - perhaps most importantly - the air of inevitability going into South Carolina. Barring an unexpected development, the former Massachusetts governor is poised to be the Republican presidential nominee. Mr. Romney will likely be the man destiny has chosen to challenge President Obama.
Limbaugh: Gingrich and Perry Blew It on Bain Attack (Update: Newt Admits He Made a Mistake)
(EIYou know, folks, it is — (laughing) — it is amazing. As I go through the news today, looking at the establishment websites, looking at the conservative establishment, media establishment websites, they're starting to have some regrets about Romney. Really, they are. I have two or three examples here, but there are some creeping doubts now about Romney on the establishment Republican side.
Obama flexing same powers he once criticized
(Wash Examiner) As he eyes re-election, President Obama is increasingly flexing his executive muscle to outflank congressional Republicans, even though he railed against such expansive uses of presidential power as a candidate in 2008.
[and you're surprised? Absolute Power corrupts absolutely]
EDITORIAL: Employment advice for Obama
(Wash Times) President Obama brainstormed at the White House Wednesday at a forum on “insourcing American jobs.” The administration’s greatest political vulnerability is sky-high unemployment. The basic idea that trickled out of the session was America must “bring back” jobs from overseas by raising taxes on companies that invest abroad. That’s a bad idea.
Messina Scolds Slack Obama Donors
(White House Dossier) Obama Campaign Chairman Jim Messina gave President Obama’s supporters a bit of his mind this morning, scolding them in video and email messages for failing to pony up enough cash for Obama’s reelection effort.
[Can't do it all with Arab Money ya know...]
Law of Unintended Consequences:
EDITORIAL: Shariah in America’s courts
(Wash Times) A panel of federal judges has ruled that states cannot protect their courts from jurists who base their decisions on international or Koranic law. America needs better judges.
The Media
In 'Right to Work' Battle, Narrative Trumps Fact on NPR
(PJ Media) On the morning of December 29, I was driving and listening to the radio. A National Public Radio anchor, discussing assorted issues being considered by prospective voters in the New Hampshire primary, described a proposed “right-to-work” law as one that would enable employees to benefit from collective bargaining agreements without having to pay dues to the unions negotiating for them.
World View
Egypt cancels Jewish festival...
(Breitbart.com) Egypt on Wednesday called off an annual Jewish festival in the Nile Delta, which draws Israeli pilgrims every year to the tomb of holy man Abu Hassira.Intelligence study glum on Afghan war, at odds with DOD portrayal
(Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community says in a secret new assessment that the war in Afghanistan is mired in stalemate, and warns that security gains from an increase in American troops have been undercut by pervasive corruption, incompetent governance and Taliban fighters operating from neighboring Pakistan, according to U.S. officials.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
EPA Gives Activists a New Tool to Pressure Power Plants, Oil Refineries
(CNSNews.com) - Environmental activists are applauding the EPA for releasing greenhouse gas emissions data for large polluters through a new, consumer-friendly Web platform.
[As if they needed a reason to oppose these things....]Obama: EPA Regulations Create Jobs; 'EPA Touches on the Lives of Every Single American Every Single Day'
[Yeah, jobs in Government that hold back real growth...]
Popular Culture, etc.:
Apparently, Someone Forgot To Tell Reality That The Entertainment Industry Was Dying
(TechDirt.com) We hear it all the time: the entertainment industry legacy players insist that the world is ending, jobs are going away, and that they need new laws like SOPA and PIPA or it's all over. That's why SOPA & PIPA are being positioned as jobs bills. Especially popular are the major labels and the big Hollywood studios insisting that they're really doing this not to save their own companies from having to adapt, but to protect the poor, poor indie creator, who is totally being destroyed by those evil online pirates. We hear time and time again about how it's really the "indie" folks who are being decimated.If SOPA's Main Target Is The Pirate Bay, It's Worth Pointing Out That ThePirateBay.org Is Immune From SOPA
(TechDirt) In looking over Eric Goldman's excellent "linkwrap"really about going after one single site: The Pirate Bay. I've actually heard this repeatedly — and from folks heavily involved with the bill itself. The whole point of the bill is to try to take down The Pirate Bay. Now, we can argue back and forth about how pointless that is... but there's something else that seems important: of a bunch of recent SOPA/PIPA stories, it pointed me to a News.com article from last month, about how SOPA was
SOPA foes warn: Not much time left to act
Klavin: Watch Blue Bloods, Damn It!
(Andrew Klavan - PJ Media) If you are a conservative and you don’t watch Blue Bloods, you are a caitiff and a knave. And okay, I don’t know what that means either, but the point is: you gotta watch this show. I know I’ve talked about it before, but it really does deserve repeating. We complain and complain about how the left has taken over the culture, then CBS puts something like this on offer and we’re too good for it or haven’t got time to pay attention.
Radosh: The New York Times Offers Propaganda for the Castro Regime as an Op-Ed
(Ron Radosh - PJ Media) Today’s New York Times runs one of its usual idiotic op-eds from a contributor. It is not quite as bad as the time the paper ran the late Libyan dictator Gaddafi’s op-ed on how the world should deal with Israel, but it comes close.
Business
Amtrak to spend $764M on new locomotives, rail cars
(Wash Post) Amtrak will pay $466 million this year for 70 new locomotives to enhance the speed and reliability of rail service in the Northeast Corridor and invest $298 million on 130 new rail cars to serve the East Coast and Midwest.
[its your money folks....]
Military Stuff
Naval patrols cut pirate attacks by about half
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted