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MICHAEL MOORE'S CHALLENGE TO OBAMA

The despicable Michael Moore revealed his utopian dream cards yesterday when he challenged Obama to earn the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately Moore unmasked the reality behind his idealism-utopianists see their potential world through rose colored glasses. There is no Oz and the wizard is a fairytale. But, one cannot reasonably explain that to little boys like Michael Moore:

Dear President Obama, How outstanding that you've been recognized today as a man of peace. Your swift, early pronouncements -- you will close Guantanamo, you will bring the troops home from Iraq, you want a nuclear weapon-free world, you admitted to the Iranians that we overthrew their democratically-elected president in 1953, you made that great speech to the Islamic world in Cairo, you've eliminated that useless term "The War on Terror," you've put an end to torture -- these have all made us and the rest of the world feel a bit more safe considering the disaster of the past eight years. In eight months you have done an about face and taken this country in a much more sane direction. But... The irony that you have been awarded this prize on the 2nd day of the ninth year of what is quickly becoming your War in Afghanistan is not lost on anyone. You are truly at a crossroads now. You can listen to the generals and expand the war (only to result in a far-too-predictable defeat) or you can declare Bush's Wars over, and bring all the troops home. Now. That's what a true man of peace would do. There is nothing wrong with you doing what the last guy failed to do -- capture the man or men responsible for the mass murder of 3,000 people on 9/11. BUT YOU CANNOT DO THAT WITH TANKS AND TROOPS. You are pursuing a criminal, not an army. You do not use a stick of dynamite to get rid of a mouse. The Taliban is another matter. That is a problem for the people of Afghanistan to resolve -- just as we did in 1776, the French did in 1789, the Cubans did in 1959, the Nicaraguans did in 1979 and the people of East Berlin did in 1989. One thing is certain through all revolutions by people who wish to be free -- they ultimately have to bring about that freedom themselves. Others can be supportive, but freedom can not be delivered from the front seat of someone else's Humvee. You have to end our involvement in Afghanistan now. If you don't, you'll have no choice but to return the prize to Oslo. Yours, Michael Moore MMFlint@aol.com MichaelMoore.com P.S. Your opposition has spent the morning attacking you for bringing such good will to this country. Why do they hate America so much? I get the feeling that if you found the cure for cancer this afternoon they'd be denouncing you for destroying free enterprise because cancer centers would have to close. There are those who say you've done nothing yet to deserve this award. As far as I'm concerned, the very fact that you've offered to walk into the minefield of hate and try to undo the irreparable damage the last president did is not only appreciated by me and millions of others, it is also an act of true bravery. That's why you got the prize. The whole world is depending on the U.S. -- and you -- to literally save this planet. Let's not let them down.

Those who want to delve a little deeper into Michael Moore's skewed look at the world might read the classic Nostromo by the immortal Joseph Conrad.Nostromo unveils the tragic reality inherent to the millions who sold their souls for a fairytale. Amazon editors offer this synopsis of the book:

One of the greatest novels of the twentieth century, Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo is an immensely exciting tale of love, revolution, and politics set in the mythical South American country of Costaguana during the 1890s. Ten years after his father is murdered by a brutal dictator, Englishman Charles Gould arrives in Costaguana to reopen the family silver mine. But instead of ushering in a shining era of prosperity and progress, the return of the silver engenders a new cycle of violence as Costaguana erupts in civil war, initiated by rival warlords determined to seize the mine and its riches. In desperation, Gould turns to the only man who can save the mine’s treasure—Nostromo, the incorruptible head of the local dockworkers, who protects the silver from rebel forces by taking it out to sea. But disaster strikes, burdening Nostromo with a terrible secret that forever alters the fate of everyone involved with the mine. A stunning monument to futility, Nostromo reveals how honor, idealism, and loyalty are inadequate defenses against the inexorable assault of corruption and evil.

TYRANTS RULE NOBEL

Should we care what European tyrants think of America? The same leftist mentality that impelled the Nobel committee to give out their worthless award to our leftist president rules much of the world. Yet, these same cowards beat down the American political doors whenever threatened or in need of cash in order to save their rotten infantile butts. Even our own tyrannical liberals appear shocked at yesterday's bizarre news. The folks at Newsweek's Gaggle offer a synopsis of reactions:

While liberal pundits won’t necessarily be lining up behind all of Limbaugh’s views, there is equal parts astonishment in the left blogosphere as there is in the right. Daily Beast blogger Peter Beinart calls it “Obama’s Nobel Farce”: “Perhaps next they’ll start giving Oscars not to the people who have made the best movies of last year, but to the people who have the best chance of making the best movies next year.” He says he likes Obama as much as the next liberal blogger, but by giving the award to Obama, the Nobel Committee is just proving that they’ve fallen in love with celebrity and that giving Obama the prize as an 'atta boy' they are only feeding the gap that conservatives are working to widen—“between Obamamania as global hype and Obama’s actual accomplishments.” The basic line: Obama won the prize not for being himself as much as for not being George W. Politics Daily Melinda Hennenberger points out, “It's not exactly like giving an Academy Award to a Vince Vaughn movie, but "surprising'' doesn't begin to cover it. No word yet on whether Glenn Beck's head has exploded.” Ezra Kleinadded a tweet: "Obama also awarded Nobel Prize in chemistry. 'He's just got great chemistry,' says Nobel Committee." Ana Marie Cox wrote: "Apparently Nobel prizes now being awarded to anyone who is not George Bush." 

ENIGMATIC JOHN LENNON

Beatle John Lennon embodied enigmatic characteristics that made him both a legend and infamously complex. The Beatle creator and informal CEO often channeled his bitterness over childhood tragedies into creative juices offering eternal fan pleasure. Sometimes Lennon turned the magic into a raucous disposition bruising anyone who stood in its way. Yet, adolescent men particularly idolized Lennon's bad boy demeanor. He held an affinity with snideness and teenage rebellion.  

Lennon's most compelling act came in the form of what he called a little man on a flaming pie. This faux heavenly being anointed John's rock band declaring, "Thou art Beatles with an 'A'!" And so it began. The fab four from Liverpool set the world on fire with their British brand of Rockabilly. Indeed we have never been the same.  

This Mr. John Lennon always subtly pumped the band members up with his grandiose vision of world domination and confident posture. Watch below as a nonchalant Lennon calmly walks up to a visibly nervous Paul McCartney and, before thousands of fans, acts as though it's just another day at the office. Following McCartney's immortal Yesterday Lennon clowns with the audience. George Harrison later admitted this was how Lennon relieved his nerves. But, to the uninformed he appeared witty, jovial, and delightful.

John wrote some of the most engaging harmonies to have ever graced the early rock genera. You're Gonna Lose That Girl, for example, is galvanizing. Cool, smooth, like a man predestined for a rock'n roll microphone, his resonating nasal baritone affected the listener. And no one sings those edgy ballads with more reverberating aplomb than John Lennon. Listen below.

NOBEL SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST PRIZE

Do we really care that the great one Obama, won the Nobel Peace prize? Even the sycophant AP asks "For what?" The prize is a self congratulatory move whereby liberal social communists eagerly pat themselves on the back for nothing. Apparently Obama won the award for gaining the approval of thugs, denigrating America on foreign soil, and empty political platitudinal rhetoric. Judging by the look on a few liberal pundit's faces today they too, seemed nonplussed.

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON BIG 12 FOOTBALL

This will be the first full week of Big12 play. Other than the thugs of Texas dominating the conference, teams look more evenly matched than previous years. Second place in the south is a tossup. Nebraska looks like the winner in the north. Saturday's game against Missouri will reveal much about the north. 

On another note, Texas Tech lost the nation's leading passer Taylor Potts to a concussion Saturday. Bench warmer Steven Sheffield came out of the chute with a bang, but settled into reality by the fourth quarter. A legion of quarterbacks have come off the bench with a hot hand. Sheffield is no exception. Two questions remain: will Potts start this Saturday? Only the coaching staff knows for sure. And they keep their cards close to the vest. Second, can Sheffield keep up the inspired pace? If history provides any answers I would say no. In relation to the matter, a few so called adult fans booed Potts this Saturday for his lackluster performance. I wonder how these adolescent adults might feel if fans booed their kid. Potts is not a professional football player. He is a kid-a college kid for God's sake. Shame on you fans for booing this young man and challenging his confidence. You are fools. One thing I learned early on when my kid played football is that no matter how many games I witnessed I knew very little about the game until the coaches took me through the films. A weak offensive line makes even the best quarterbacks look like amateurs. I firmly believe Potts received his concussion during two consecutive plays. The first one a blitzing linebacker slammed Potts' head to the turf. The following play defensive end Jaymar Latchison broke through the line untouched, forcing Potts out of the pocket and allowing defensive end Jonathan Rainey to put a big hit on the Tech signal caller, again slamming his head to the turf. So what the hell is Potts supposed to do when his line leaks like a sieve? This same offensive line could not provide enough of a surge from the half yard line against an embarrassingly smaller Houston Cougar defense to aid Potts in surging over the goal line-a given in most play books. Whether Sheffield's mobility can enhance his play within the context of a pitiful offensive line remains a mystery. As stated above, during the fourth quarter of the New Mexico game reality set in. Sheffield, who razzle-dazzled in Staubachesque style the second and third quarters, gave up a fumble and pass interception in the fourth.

During the Texas game Potts received a massive blow from UT thug Sergio Kindle as seen below and returned the next series to drive Tech downfield for a touchdown. Potts possesses potential for greatness and hopefully will achieve such in spite of the fans. So, all you boo birds out there, you best cool it, because you haven't a clue.

TODAY'S DEALS

Save on electronics at Amazon

HEALTH CARE CRYSTAL BALL

Since when has the government done anything right? Outside of military victories and a few paved roads the record on government takeover is despicable. In the name of philanthropy, which seems to sound increasingly, yet deceptively noble, elitist pseudo-intellectuals gain the most. Such is the nefarious character of tyranny. It vaguely reminds me of Jesus words to the elitist religious leaders of his day when he declared they were like whitewashed tombstones. They looked all clean on the outside, but on the inside they were full of dead men's bones. Investor's Business Daily, via National Review, suggests we look to the states as our national health care model:

Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Maine have all created some version of government takeover or administration of health care, and all are a mess.

Hawaii's Prepaid Healthcare Act and its coverage mandates have left Hawaiians with fewer coverage choices, higher costs and nearly double the number of uninsured. Recent budget cuts resulted in discontinuation of its coverage for children.

Oregon's state-controlled care includes an official list that dictates what treatments will be covered based on annual budget constraints. If your disease is above the treatment line, you are covered. Below the line — you're not.

However, patients being denied treatment often receive an additional note in their denial letters — the system telling them it will pay for "physician aid in dying." Oregon won't help you live, but it will help you die.

In the three years since the Massachusetts "universal" coverage plan was launched, the state still has thousands of uninsured, costs have exploded to unsustainable levels, and waiting lists for treatments have appeared.

Tennessee's "TennCare" program, an attempt to expand coverage to low-income uninsured, included dead people, escaped felons and NBA stars. It drove doctors and insurers out of the state, and has been on the brink of insolvency several times.

Tennessee's Democrat governor, Phil Bredesen, recently went to Washington, D.C., to explain to Congress that government health care does not lower cost.

But perhaps the worst — and closest — example of why a federal takeover of health care won't work comes from Maine. . . .

Six years after it was passed, it has insured only 3% — roughly 3,400 — of the 128,000 promised.

By 2007, the system was so broke that it closed to new enrollees. It still has not reopened and has also cut and capped benefits. The "streamlined" bureaucracy has cost the state's taxpayers $17 million in administrative costs to cover 9,600 people, leading one to wonder if there are more bureaucrats in the system than enrollees.

TEA PARTY EXPRESS

A tea party is coming to your neighborhood soon:(click on map)

The Tea Party Express national bus tour will host a series of tea party rallies all across the nation. The effort will begin Sunday October 25, in California and travel eastward, building momentum as the tour reaches its final destination on November 11 in Florida. At each stop the tour will highlight some of the worst offenders in Congress who have voted for higher spending, higher taxes, and government intervention in the lives of American families and businesses. These Members of Congress have infringed upon the freedom of the individual in this great nation, and its time for us to say: "Enough is Enough!" The "Tea Party Express" tour will feature leaders in the anti-tax, conservative, tea party movement along with musical performances of "American Tea Party Anthem" and "A Bailout Song" at each tea party event.

DISCOUNTS ON NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS

Amazon is offering discounts on New York Times bestsellers.

PRETTY GIRLS OF YESTERYEAR

You may laugh at the thought of old wrinkled up granny once being a looker, but she was. Someday  you'll be old too. And, your grand kids will gaze at an old photo with a distracting patina and gasp, "Is that really grandma? Oh my God!" (Pictures via Shorpy) (click on pictures to enlarge)

Take a close look at those bathing suits. Hope your grandma wasn't a Baptist. If she was she's probably burning in hell.

Marilyn my Marilyn. Miss Monroe will always turn our heads.

1950 Life Magazine put Rue Lawrence on the cover. I understand this young lady is still alive and wishes not to be disturbed.

BRAINIACS OR MANIACS ?

Leftists often muse at their own sense of self importance and deeply desire for the world to place utmost faith in their adolescent utopian dreams. Furthermore, leftists spend their time touting their Ivy League credentialed intellectuals as the nation's sole saving grace. And intellectualism often stands as nothing more than misguided socialist idealism. FDR's administration institutionalized the phenomenon with the incarnation of a new godhead entitled New Deal. Roosevelt's program came  complete with socialist/communist walking on water virtues. World War II sent New Deal brainiacs into a whirlpool. Following 60 plus years of thrashing about in the sea of humanity, socialist brainy types have been reinvigorated by FDR Jr.-President Obama. Conservative man of letters Thomas Sowell eloquently draws a contrast between brainiac idealism and mature wisdom received through aged experience. He proceeds by briefly examining Hitler's superior intellectual prowess:

Make no mistake about it, Adolf Hitler was brilliant. His underlying beliefs may have been half-baked and his hatreds overwhelming, but he was a genius when it came to carrying out his plans politically, based on those beliefs and hatreds. Starting from a position of Germany's military weakness in the early 1930s, Hitler not only built up Germany's war-making potential, he did so in ways that minimized the danger that his potential victims would match his military build-up with their own. He said whatever soothing words they wanted to hear that would spare them the cost of military deterrence and the pain of contemplating another war. He played some of the most highly educated people of his time for fools-- not only foreign political leaders but also members of the intelligentsia. The editor of The Times of London filtered out reports that his own foreign correspondents in Germany sent him about the evils and dangers of the Nazis. In the United States, W.E.B. Du Bois-- with a Ph.D. from Harvard-- said that dictatorship in Germany was "absolutely necessary to get the state in order."

Sowell's wise counsel reminds me of the Old Testament's King Solomon. As son of the great King David, Solomon sought to continue building an extravagant utopia for himself. The young idealistic men of his day encouraged his extravagance. Older, wiser men advised him otherwise. Solomon listen to the youthful idealists instead of the experienced gray hairs which eventually lead his nation into a slow, but steady decline. Perhaps George Will offers us some saving grace when he suggests that the purpose of conservatism is to keep idealism in check. 

NETANYAHU VS OBAMA

President Obama's foreign relations continues to tank. The Washington Times pens a brief synopsis of his embarrassing  foreign policy failures. Which, in my opinion, arise from a lack of moral clarity.  When dealing with rogue nations Obama appears obsequious. The Times then offers this glimpse at his only display of supremacy:

Actions in Mr. Obama's world are consequence-free. The only country the Obama team has tried to strong-arm is Honduras, which is desperately trying to stave off a socialist takeover by an anti-American autocrat whom the State Department has concluded is worthy of full U.S. support. This has delighted Cuban dictators Raul and Fidel Castro and Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, who are very willing to let the United States carry their water. Venezuela, meanwhile, has signed a major arms deal with Russia, continues to build the anti-Gringo "Bolivarian" bloc, bullies U.S. ally Colombia and plans to launch its own nuclear program. 

In contrast to Obama's miserable cowardice Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displays moral courage in foreign affairs. Consider the fact that he gives the UN a good old bitch slappin' by asking the preeminent question, "Have you no shame; have you no decency," in reference to the UN allowing Holocaust denier Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a seat and a place at the podium. 

Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium. To those who refused to come here and to those who left this room in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries. 

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency? 

A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state.

What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations! Perhaps some of you think that this man and his odious regime threaten only the Jews. You're wrong. 

History has shown us time and again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many others. (via PowerLIne)

Shame and decency indeed infer moral discernment. Historically moral people, those who share ancient traditional values, protect their freedom and turf with zeal. Furthermore, they acknowledge the existence of evil ands its implications. Immoral people, because of their desire for wanton pleasure find it difficult to selflessly stand up and fight. Plus, they fail to recognize their propensity to do evil themselves therefore, denying its universal existence. Our founding Fathers not only acknowledged evil's reality, they trembled at its perniciousness; thus offering us the ingenious checks and balances.  Perhaps the ever courageous Netanyahu might desire for us to hear these words from the prophet Moses:

15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. (Deuteronomy 28:15;25-29 NIV)

Those are harsh words whose implications I believe are playing out before our very eyes in America. They make unwise people laugh. But, they laughed at Moses years later when the prophets used his words as a clarion call to the Hebrew Kings. Indeed, materialism and moral bankruptcy make us soft and naive when dealing with the reality of evil. The Israelis, targets of one of the most demonic regime's in history, cannot deny the existence of evil. It's stamped on their arms, and carved into their nightmarish souls. Hat's off to what looks like the only world leader with moral clarity.

Read and hear Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to the UN here. 

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARREST POTENTIAL BOMBER IN DALLAS

This bit of news hits close to my home:

Federal authorities arrested a 19-year-old Jordanian citizen whom they said placed an inactive car bomb today at Fountain Place, a 60-story skyscraper in downtown Dallas.

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi has repeatedly voiced his intent to serve Usama Bin Laden and al-Qa’ida and commit “violent Jihad,” authorities said in a prepared statement.

“Today’s arrest of Hosam Maher Husein Smadi underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to bring to justice persons who attempt to bring harm to citizens of this country and significant danger to this community,” special FBI agent in charge Robert E. Casey, Jr. said in the statement. “Smadi made a decision to act to commit a significant conspicuous act of violence under his banner of ‘self Jihad.’”

Authorities said that Smadi was under continuous FBI surveillance. Federal agents posed as members of an al-Qa’ida sleeper cell. Smadi, who was in the U.S. illegally, allegedly told them that he came to the country specifically to commit “Jihad for the sake of God.”

According to authorities, Smadi identified potential Dallas targets in June and allegedly scoped out Fountain Place in July. Authorities said that Smadi lived and worked in Italy, Texas, about 45 miles south of Dallas.

CONSERVATIVE PUBLICATION HEALTH SITE

The conservative publication NewsMax has launched a new informative health site called NewsMax Health. The site combines cutting edge medical news with medical and fitness advice.

MERRY OLD LAND OF OZ TURNS 70 IN STYLE

In 1939 while America remained in the grips of a great depression and Adolf Hitler sought to conquest all of Europe, an unusual color film complete with munchkins, wicked witches, dancing scarecrows and ruby slippers graced the big screen. Up until that year only one other movie, Gone With The Wind, sought to break the traditional technical barriers with such revolutionary vicissitude as the Wizard of Oz.  For a brief moment the merry old land of Oz made us forget about a burning hell in Europe. Most Americans grew up with an annual tradition of at least acknowledging the movie's profound cultural impact. And, who can forget the angelic voice (in this writer's opinion the most compelling female pop singer in history) of Judy Garland singing Harold Arlen's immortal Somewhere Over the Rainbow? On a side note, this same composer from the Great American Songbook went on to write a legion of blues pieces totally divergent from Oz fantasy numbers. Songs like One For My Baby, Blues in The Night, and The Man That Got Away, all strike a familiar chord in our conscience. But we never associate them with the music of Oz. 

This week Oz celebrates its 70th by releasing a high def version of the classic. Alyson Ward of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram posts some little known facts about the movie:

$2.7 million: The movie’s production cost in 1939

1 billion: The estimated number of people who’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, making it the most-watched movie in the world

4: Number of directors the film went through, although only Victor Fleming was credited

5: Roles played in the film by actor Frank Morgan (He played Professor Marvel, the Wizard of Oz, the gatekeeper at Emerald City, the Wizard’s guard and the driver of the Horse of a Different Color.)

6: The number of cast members who are still alive (All were Munchkins, and they’re in their 80s and 90s. The London Independent tracked down five of them in August for a story commemorating the film’s 70th anniversary.)

$50: The weekly salary for the actors who played the Munchkins

$125: The weekly salary for the dog that played Toto

Most persistent movie rumor ever

Everyone’s heard this urban legend: Not long after Dorothy meets the Tin Man, you can see a stagehand — or maybe it’s a Munchkin — hanging himself among the trees in the background. Yes, a suicide on the set!

It’s not true, but the truth is almost weirder than that. What you’re seeing is actually a large bird — a crane, perhaps, or an emu — spreading its wings. Several birds and other animals were brought in to roam around the set and to make the forest look more realistic. (Because without some animals to make it look real, we’d never believe that a scarecrow and a man made of tin were really dancing along a road of yellow bricks.) The rumor of a hanging, however, persists to this day.

Behind the scenes: things you probably didn’t know

1. Victor Fleming, the film’s only credited director, said he made The Wizard of Oz because "I wanted my two little girls to see a picture that searched for beauty and decency and sweetness in the world." Really, the studio — MGM — wanted to make a big children’s movie to compete with the success of Disney’sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.

2. Can you imagine anyone but Judy Garland as Dorothy? It almost happened: MGM almost got Shirley Temple to take the part but couldn’t get her studio, 20th Century Fox, to release her for the role.

3. Dorothy’s musical lament, Over the Rainbow, was almost cut from the film for length. It’s a good thing it wasn’t, because it has become an American classic. A few years ago, it topped the American Film Institute’s top 100 songs of the 20th century.

4. The Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton, played with fire: She arrived and disappeared with a ball of fire, and she often shot flames at her enemies. That fire, it turns out, wasn’t fake, and Hamilton was injured on the set. When an elevated platform failed to move her away from her departing fireball fast enough, the actress burned her cheek. Hamilton refused to do her own stunts after that.

Read the entire article here.

MORE RICHARD MONTANARI

Not long ago I gave up on Pat Conroy's South of Broad. I found it to be mellow dramatic and much like a soap opera. No one paints word pictures as compellingly as Conroy. But this recent novel lost my attention when I decided I might get more from As The World Turns than from his latest effort. 

Today, however, I picked up another novel from the psychotic Richard Montanari. His emotional psychological thrillers impel the reader to both love and hate his stories. They do something to one's sense of morality. The devil on the left inspires while the angel on the right immerses the reader with guilt for reading the damn thing. Oh, how I love the guilt.  

COACH POKER FACE MIKE LEACH

Mike Leach, the riverboat gambler, pulled another bluff in last night's Tech/Texas game. Even though the Longhorns won Texas Tech played a honorable game and probably would have won if the game were played in Lubbock. During the game Leach tried an old NFL trick play by asking his quarterback to fake a knee with just a few seconds left in the half.  William Dyer, a UT Law graduate and blogger at Belderblog, did not like Leach's supposed tantrum over the ref's decision to blow the whistle, calling quarterback Taylor Potts down when in fact his knee failed to touch the ground. I'll defer to Mr. Dyer at this point: 

    Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach threw a middle-sized fit Saturday night during Tech's 34-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns, insisting that the officials had improperly frustrated an attempted trick play by the Red Raiders. According to the Dallas Morning News:

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was upset with the officials at halftime.

On the final play of the first half, Tech quarterback Taylor Potts pretended to take a knee before dropping back for a pass. Replays showed Potts' knee never touched the turf, but the officials blew the play dead.

"We never took the knee, and they whistled it down," Leach told ABC as he left the field.

Coach Leach could also be seen berating the officials immediately after the call, although the exact wording of his shouts wasn't audible on ABC Sports' broadcast sound feed, and I don't know if there was profanity to go along with his arm-waving. And Leach's fussing, combined with the replay, apparently convinced at least some observers that the refs had treated the Raiders unfairly. The Houston Chronicle's David Barron wrote, for example, that the "Red Raiders were waylaid by a potential borderline call by the officials that short-circuited an attempted trick play in the final seconds of the first half." Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's RedRaiders.comwebsite likewise noted that the "Red Raiders were irritated with the way the first half ended," and at least implicitly blamed the refs by pointing out that "a television replay showed Potts’ knee never touched the ground." Tech trailed Texas 10 to 3 at the half, so if the trick play had gone for a touchdown, that presumably would have resulted in a half-time tie and an even closer second half than that which actually ensued (the 'Horns didn't put the game away until the final 90 seconds).

But while Coach Leach was right that Potts' knee never quite touched the turf, he was dead wrong to fault the officials for blowing the play dead. There can be no doubt whether this was a deliberately called trick play — Tech telegraphed that by taking a timeout with one second left in the half before they tried it, and Leach could be seen giving detailed instructions to Potts that were clearly too complicated to be "Take a knee and let's go to the locker room, son." And as it was in fact executed, there likewise was no doubt whatsoever that Potts was deliberately trying to make it look to the 'Horn defenders like he was merely taking a knee to run out the clock, and the rest of Potts' teammates were cooperating in that farce. Based on the simulated kneel-down, the refs made exactly the right call:

From the NCAA Football 2009-10 Rules and Interpretations manual, Rule 4, Article 3, entitled "Ball Declared Dead," provides in pertinent part as follows (at pages FR-79 to -80, corresponding to pages 82-83 of the .pdf version):

A live ball becomes dead and an official shall sound his whistle or declare it dead:

....

o. When a ball carrier simulates placing his knee on the ground.

During the third quarter of the Tech vs. Texas game, the ABC announcers said they'd been informed by a representative of the officiating crew that the ruling was based on a Big 12 Conference rule, but so far I've been unable to find anything online to support that; I suspect they meant to reference the NCAA rule, which would be binding upon the Big 12 Conference anyway. The NFL also has a similar rule for simulated kneel-downs during the last two minutes of each half according to the most recent version of the Official NFL Rulebook that I could find online (from 2006). See Rule 7, Section 4, Article 1(b) (at page 45, corresponding to page 53 of the .pdf file).

It's not hard to understand why both the NCAA and NFL rules forbid the kind of trick Coach Leach was trying to pull. Certain types of deception are fundamental to football — the man in motion, the shifting formations; the disguised blitz; the pump-fake before a handoff to a running back, or the play-action pass preceded by a fake hand-off; the double-reverse, the halfback pass, and the flea flicker; the onside kick and the fake punt. All of these deceptive moves prior to or during plays, and many more, have their place. Indeed, we saw many of them at one point or another during this very game.

But when defenders reasonably believe the QB is taking a knee, they also reasonably expect to be penalized if they even touch him. It's fundamentally unfair to let the QB claim immunity from a normal hit while leaving him free to throw a touchdown; and if QBs who genuinely are taking a knee aren't protected while doing so, they will be much more likely to be injured. Moreover, defensive players all over the field relax and let down their guards when they have good cause to believe a play is over and that the ball is dead; players are, in general, far more vulnerable to injury when taken by surprise; and the same downfield block that might have merely knocked a prepared player off his feet becomes a career-ending spinal cord injury on the wholly unprepared player who's walking back to the defensive huddle (or to the locker room). We penalize the team whose punt returner tries to advance a punt after signaling "fair catch" for similar reasons — not because the rules are trying to crush all excitement and deception from the game, but because certain types of exciting deception are both unfair and unreasonably dangerous.

Of course, I'm a Longhorn loyalist and alum, but I'm generally a fan of Coach Leach and the Raiders when they're not playing Texas. Overall, they played a great game again this year, for which I congratulate them. Still, one might reasonably expect all NCAA Division 1 head football coaches to know what's in the rulebook. One might reasonably expect such a coach not to unfairly blame the refs on national TV for properly enforcing the rules as written. And those expectations might be especially appropriate for an NCAA Division 1 head football coach who's also a lawyer: Mike Leach earned his Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1986.

Coach Leach owes a public apology to the referees from this game.

Dyer and others must understand, part of Leach's quirkiness involves his constant bluffs designed to intimidate the refs. I feel certain Leach knew the rules, but tried to pull the wool over the ref's eyes. His riverboat gambler's persona sells tickets and radiates a sort of mystique that allures both press, fans, and potential recruits alike. Surely by now those familiar with Leach's bizarre genius realize he knows more than he leads us to believe. I doubt that he will issue an apology anytime soon.

THE TELLING PATTERN

I talked to a close liberal friend the other day who seems a bit nervous about Obama. I asked him why he voted for the man in the first place. He replied, "We didn't know much about him, other than he promised change." Of course politicians always wax eloquent with campaign rhetoric steeped in youthful idealism. The age old mantra, "Throw the bums out," resonates down the halls of American history. But, in this narcissistic day and age we seem to be moving toward sloppy information gathering. Irrational zealots, including the mainstream media, hated George Bush with such intensity they forgot to check their mindless passions at the voting door. Anyone who cared to pay a pittance of attention to the matter could begin piecing the puzzle together.  I'm not a lawyer, yet even I, with my politically challenged mind, often whispered to myself, "Hey, somp'n  ain't right here." Let's see...there is Reverend Wright, the American bashing liberal liberation theologian; distinguished professor of Commie brainwashing, orgiastic bomb lover William Ayers; 9/11 conspiracy nut Van Jones; and of course lately a resurrection of the infamous Acorn porn, I mean...community organizers. Obama, true to form, is now sheepishly throwing the organization under the bus. And our trustworthy liberal sycophant media follows behind lapping up the feces. Perhaps we ought to remember this:

Furthermore, in July of 08 the W&J and John Fund published this incriminating piece implying that Obama's ties with Acorn were material:

In 1992, Barack Obama Was Hired By ACORN To Run A Voter Registration Effort. “Indeed, Mr. Obama has extensive connections with the granddaddy of activist groups, Acorn (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), which has gotten millions in government grants for its low-income housing programs. In 1992, Acorn hired Mr. Obama to run a voter registration effort. He later became a trainer for the group, as well as its lawyer in election law cases. Acorn’s political arm has endorsed Mr. Obama while its ‘voter education’ arm has pledged to spend $35 million to register people this fall — despite a history of vote fraud scandals that have led to guilty pleas by many Acorn employees.” 

And now we of course we witnessed this devastating news, which  drove liberals in Congress out of expediency to throw the Acorn bunch under the bus:

One wonders if the liberals can redeem themselves by refusing to trust anything Obama says, beginning with his tyrannical healthcare agenda. Of course, we know better. Tragically, true to their core, liberals will simply pass the mistake off as good intentions designed to redeem George Bush's evil.

MARY TRAVERS RIP

Mary Travers, part of the famed trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary died yesterday. I remember her most for her long blond hair which gave rise to an anti establishment beatnik look.  60's beatniks were the precursors to 70's hippies. What I liked most about the trio besides Puff the Magic Dragon (you must understand, I was a kid when Puff came on the scene) is the fact that they launched John Denver, a former architect student from my alma-mater Texas Tech, into eternal stardom with this cover of his composition:(wait-is that a young John Denver jamming with the famed trio?)

PATRICK SWAYZE RIP

Pretty boy fellow Texan Patrick Swayze lost his battle with pancreatic cancer today. The devastating disease is almost always fatal. I remember Swayze not so much for his acting skills, but for the charismatic talents he delivered to the silver screen. Swayze worked tirelessly and seemingly effortlessly to maintain his chiseled physique.  He embodied on screen your kind of gun for hire protector. Baby-boomers admired him because he never aged. He inspired us to remain forever young. Mr. Swayze will be sorely missed.

AMERICA UPSIDE DOWN

The essence of liberalism exports our national soul to the land of irrationality. Without an objective moral authority and shared values we turn our life on its head. The genius of our founding fathers lay in the fact that they humbly acquiesced to a higher authority than themselves and they accepted the reality that all humans possess the inbred proclivity to do evil. Thus, creating checks and balances and reluctantly accepting the need for compromise, provided our salvation from ourselves. But, liberals disparage history as unenlightened ignorance. Therefore, they created their own subjective moral narrative which essentially inverts our values. The ever wise cartoonist Michael Ramirez offers a glance at one particular issue in which we see this perversion playing out. (click on picture)

LOVE MY iPHONE BUT...

I could never trade my iPhone for another. But its navigation system is written. That makes it sluggish and dangerous when driving. Walt Mossberg reviews the latest applications that offer turn by turn, automated navigation. For now I will stick with the indigenous app.  

JACK WEBB SCHOOLS OBAMA ON HEALTHCARE VIA JOE FRIDAY

Joe Friday's a straight up guy. He gives Obama a lesson on Democracy. (Via Big Hollywood)

NFL TODAY VS YESTERYEAR

Baby boomers and older have witnessed a legion of changes in the NFL over the past 40 years. W$J columnist Allen Barra offers a compelling analysis between today and yesteryear. His conclusion:

For all the sophistication of today's game—the greater number of coaches and players, the complexity of the plays, the emphasis on wide-open passing games, the rule changes that ­favor offense—scoring has scarcely increased. In 1959, the average number of points in an NFL game was 42.7. In 2008, the average number of points scored per game was 44.0.
What happened to that supposed gain in offensive firepower? "What happened," says Coach Troup, "is that for every action, there was a reaction. Defense evolved along with offense."
Maybe the old-timers are right about it being the same game after all.

Read the entire article here.

MAGAZINE COVER JINX?

Several folks have linked to my blog today from this post which seems to imply that Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach may have jinxed himself by gracing the cover of Texas Monthly:

As years go, 2001 was a pretty good one for the Sports IllustratedCover Jinx. Which is to say it wasannus horribilis for Nomar Garciaparra, the Oregon State football team, Eric Crouch and the Washington Redskins, all of whom graced our cover and paid for it.
That's why I'm bracing to hear from the ASPCA.
See, I wrote this week's cover story, in which we conducted a thorough exploration of what happened to everyone who has appeared on our cover, from Eddie Mathews, on the inaugural issue in 1954, to Michael Jordan, who took his 51st turn last week just as his wife filed for divorce. To illustrate the story, we asked St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner to pose for the cover with a black cat. Only Warner refused, so the cat does a solo turn with the billing THE COVER THAT NO ONE WOULD POSE FOR.

To be sure Tech's first game against powder puff North Dakota did not help the Red Raider's stock with sportswriters. The Red Raiders failed annihilate North Dakota. But, coach Mike Leach felt good about the game and sort of took it in stride as though the game were an experimental adventure for his Red Raiders. 

In addition most of the links appear to originate from hallucinatory Rice Owl fans who are grasping at straws hoping against all hope for this week's game.