Of Eagles And Dawgs

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T07:19:00.002-04:00

It's often hard choosing the correct words to write about some meaningful event. Happily, this isn't one of those times. Two hundred thirty-two years ago, the Continental Congress approved the wording of the Declaration of Independence and voted unanimously to adopt it, officially separating this land from British rule.

It is always worth reading. After all, these were the words our founding fathers felt best explained their decision to form a new, sovereign nation.

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is in the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.

Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let the Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People; unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislature.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond the Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule in these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Powers to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Happy Independence Day!

Locally Grown Produce At Wal-Mart

2008-07-01T13:32:00.001-04:00

Here's great news for local agricultural producers. Wal-Mart has announced a commitment to sourcing more local fruits and vegetables to keep produce prices down and provide affordable selections that are fresh and healthful. They also say their partnerships with local farmers have grown by 50 percent over the past two years. Hundreds of growers across the United States provide produce sold in Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. According to the chain, during the summer months, locally sourced fruits and vegetables that are both grown and available for purchase within a state’s borders make up one-fifth of the produce available in Wal-Mart stores.

For a listing of which locally grown fruits and vegetables are available in your state, check out this web page.

Driving The Ghost Road

2008-06-27T14:25:00.002-04:00

The wife and I have just returned from another visit to Charleston, South Carolina. It has become our destination of choice for a quick get-away. She loves most any place with a beach, and I enjoy being around the ocean. The mix of sea, sand and history really appeal to us. The four-plus hour drive, however, might cast doubt on the “quick” part of the get-away.

Every trip, though, the drive has been monotonous. A good part of the drive is interstate, and travel by interstate is fine if time is your only consideration. But if you want to the actually get a feel for the places you pass through, you must leave the super-slab. As the late Charles Kuralt once remarked, "Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything."

We decided to take a more meandering route back home, and see what small town, rural South Carolina held for those who were adventurous enough to visit. If you allow yourself to become immersed in the communities you pass through, if you read the signs, actually notice the homes… the actual drive can be so much more interesting.

We were prepared as we left Charleston to see the mundane and ordinary. Every place has those. We also were ready for the odd and unique. Most places have something to fit those categories. However, we were hoping to be surprised. We hoped to discover a thing, a place, a fact that made the whole side trip magically worthwhile.

One thing my wife and I do when we travel is read signs. Whether they be billboards, signs for churches and community events, road signs, they are all pieces to a larger puzzle. These are the things that provide depth and context to a community as you pass through. (In Walterboro, South Carolina last year, a sign at a convenience store advertised a free YooHoo chocolate drink with the purchase of two packs of Skoal chewing tobacco. I’d love to know if anyone took them up on that offer. Eewww…)

We shared a moment of time with communities named Givhans, Springtown and Ulmer. In one county, nearly every rural road was a lane - Happiness Lane, Huckleberry Hill Lane, Heaven’s Path Lane. Our favorite was Pumpkin Girl Lane. We stopped for a Coke at a gas station that looked pretty sketchy from the road, and wasn’t a lot better inside. But the woman behind the cash register smiled and wished us a “blessed day”. On a lonely stretch of rural South Carolina highway, we were passed by an SUV doing at least 80. They were around us and out of sight in 20 or 30 seconds. We had enough time to see their University of Tennessee tag on the front as they approached, and their Cherokee County, GA tag on the back as they sped off.

We left the two-lane road behind in the town of Bamburg, turning onto the four-lane US 301 for the drive back into Georgia and on to Statesboro. The adventure seemed over. For a couple of minutes.

We noticed an abandoned old motel on the highway. Sad, I thought. No business for it here. There was almost no traffic on the road, prompting the wife to wonder aloud why it was four-laned to begin with. Later, we did notice that the road itself looked pretty old. Must have been for lanes for a long time. Further south, where US 301 and 321 meet, then split, there were more abandoned businesses. In Allendale even more. Restaurants, truck stops, motels.

It finally sunk in… this had been one busy stretch of highway at some point in time. But now it was a shadow of its former self. Wifey called it a “ghost road”. And that’s what it is.

From Bamburg south to Statesboro, we saw one old business after another, closed up and left behind. Rusting, dilapidated ghosts of an era before the interstates, when travelers from the Northeast passed through on their way to Florida. When I-95 was opened through South Carolina and Georgia in the 1970s, the days were numbered for these motels and diners.

A little research after we got home confirmed our suspicions. Running from Delaware to Florida, US 301 had been one of the two main routes (along with US 1) from the Northeast to the Sunshine State. These communities we had driven through, and countless others along the route, had welcomed tourists, truckers and others on the long hauls north and south. Now, they were forgotten. Some, like Allendale, looked to have never recovered.

We took the back roads in hopes of finding something unique, unexpected. We hoped to discover something special, and we did. This one, though, is rooted is sadness and abandonment. These old motels and diners, many with broken walls and fallen signs, sit along the roadside as if waiting for the right time to awaken and come back to life. Certainly would be nice if some of them could.

To see pictures of some of these places, and to read more, check out these links…

Memory takes the back road

Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge in Allendale

Mr. Gleck's Five Flavors Blog: Route 301

Old Paradise Restaurant and Motel - Screven County (also from Mr. Gleck)

All About My Pet Peeves

2008-06-21T09:47:00.002-04:00

I stumbled across Common Errors In English by happenstance, and I felt right at home. My greatest pet peeves involve the often gross misuse of our English language. This wonderful site spells out the most common mistakes, explains their correct usages, and often provides deeper insight into how these errors arise. I love it!

Ohio State QB To Transfer TO GSU

2008-06-19T20:46:00.002-04:00

Ohio State #2 quarterback (and Fort Valley, Georgia native) Antonio Hinton is expected to transfer to Georgia Southern and compete for the starting job. The announcement could come as early as this weekend. His coach at Peach County High, Rance Gillespie, is now the offensive coordinator at GSU.

This kid came out of high school with huge potential, and was expected to become a star at Ohio State. Columbus, Ohio is a long way from Fort Valley, and last year Hinton got into off-the-field trouble. It looks like he's trying to make his situation better by coming back to Georgia, being close to family and reuniting with Gillespie. He was red-shirted in 2006, so he's still got three years of eligibility remaining. Hinton is a dual-threat quarterback, and could fill the hole left by Jayson Foster.

PETA - A Scary Look At Who They Really Are

2008-06-15T14:02:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to meet David Martosko of the Center for Consumer Freedom. I intended to write about it then, but as per normal, time got away from me. It was most certainly an eye-opening meeting. His job is basically to monitor groups like PETA and the Humane Society of the U.S. (or HSUS), with the goal of promoting personal responsibility and protecting consumer choice.

(Please note: the Humane Society of the United States is not the same thing as your local community humane society. For example, the Humane Society of Savannah / Chatham County, GA clearly states on their web site: We receive NO money from any other animal welfare organization including the Humane Society of the United States! For more info on how local societies distance themselves from this fringe organization, just check out this Google search.)

Mr. Martosko was speaking before a crowd consisting of mostly livestock producers. I'm not in that line of work, and was curious why he was chosen to address the group. Within 30 seconds, it made perfect sense. He held the audience captivated for an hour, explaining the threat those groups pose to American animal agriculture. That's the production of meat, by the way.

Through the use of video and audio clips and literature from PETA and HSUS, he exposed their dirty little secrets. They want to shut down the production of meat in this country. They want to forbid the owning of pets. They want to end all medical research involving animals. They want to legislate their bizarre, twisted sense of morality. PETA killed more than 19,000 animals between 1998 and 2007, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

Some of the more bizarre quotes to come out of these groups, as well as quotes from other folks about these groups, can be found at these links...

PETA

HSUS

Environmental Working Group

Greenpeace

My personal favorite quote comes from PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, in the September 1989 issue of Vogue Magazine...

"Even if animal tests produced a cure for AIDS, we'd be against it."

Well isn't that nice. The lives of lab rats are more important than human life. Wow.

I can't even begin to share all the things Mr. Martosko brought to light. Many can be found at the Center's web site (linked above). The one thing he said that hit home was this... His organization has made a tremendous number of claims, some certainly outrageous ones. But they freely present their evidence to back them up. More importantly, they've never been taken to court over any of their claims. If they were not true, why wouldn't these organizations sue? They don't sue, because they know the claims are based in truth.

I'd encourage all of you to check into it with an open mind.

As for me, I'm still a member of PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals.

GSU Alum Curry NBA's Newest Head Coach

2008-06-11T09:23:00.002-04:00

Michael Curry, a star on the court for Georgia Southern and later a role player for several NBA teams, was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons yesterday. Curry's NBA career ran from 1993 to 2005, and he'd been an assistant coach in Detroit prior to becoming head coach. Congrats to another successful Eagle!

Think He Votes Democratic?

2008-06-10T11:26:00.004-04:00

Asked by some newspaper whether the Congress should continue funding for Public Television and NPR, National Public Radio, this fellow gave a classically idiotic answer.

"Congress should continue paying for it because if they don't, the taxpayers will end up paying for it."

Yikes! Makes me wonder two things...

First, did the folks at the newspaper catch this, and decide to print it anyway?

And second, how many people reading the newspaper agreed with him?

(Thanks to TaxingTennessee for the heads up.)

Zero-Tolerance Insanity #6

2008-06-02T08:40:00.003-04:00

A ten-year-old student in Winchendon, Massachusetts was suspended from school last week for bringing a Memorial Day souvenir to school. Bradley Geslak, a fourth-grader at Toy Town Elementary School, was given two empty rifle shell casings from blanks used during a Memorial Day ceremony. He was given the casings by a uniformed veteran at the ceremony. Bradley's dad and both of his grandfathers are veterans, so the ceremony and the souvenirs meant something to him.

Unfortunately, Bradley brought one of the shell casings to school, where he was promptly suspended for violating the school's zero-tolerance policy for weapons. The shell casing was confiscated and apparently won't be returned.

So a ten-year-old now has a weapons-related suspension on his record. The school's principal, Deborah Peterson, as well as Superintendent Brooke Clenchy, should be ashamed.

A Bit Of Trivia

2008-05-31T11:36:00.002-04:00

Since 1988, which Georgia high school has had the most alumni selected in the NFL Draft?

The answer: LaGrange High.

There have been eight Grangers selected: Marty Carter, Walt Harris, Nate Hill, John Johnson, Quintin McCord, Tyrone Poole, Tony Stargell and Bruce Thornton

At least two others have been signed as undrafted free agents. Sam Olajubutu was signed last year by Tampa Bay, and Wesley Woodyard was signed by the Denver Broncos after this year's draft.

Wal-Mart Looking Out For Consumers

2008-05-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

With grocery prices going up across the board, the nation's largest grocer has bucked the trend. They've rolled back grocery prices by as much as 30% this year, and have been working with food producers to shrink packaging, thereby lowering shipping costs for the producers and keeping prices low for customers.

It would have been easy to just raise prices like everyone else, but they chose another path. While some love to vilify Wal-Mart for its size and scope, sounds like they're looking out for their customers.

The Company You Keep

2008-05-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, an estimated 75,000 people showed up for a Barack Obama campaign appearance in Portland, Oregon. Organizers of the event, Obama's supporters, prepared for the crowd by placing Porta-Potties at the site. Only one problem...

They placed the Porta-Potties in the middle of a memorial to fallen police officers. A memorial with a flag flying at half mast from a remembrance rally a few days earlier.

Such classy people.

Support For Autism Speaks

2008-05-23T16:02:00.001-04:00

A lot of our friends and family have had children the last few years. And thankfully, they've all been healthy. Some children, though, aren't so lucky. About one in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, which impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines.

Autism Speaks supports research into autism, why it occurs, how best to treat it and (most importantly) prevent it. I first heard about Autism Speaks as a fan of NASCAR, which has been a great supporter of their efforts. It's a quality organization. Check it out.

Carbon Credits... Scam?

2008-05-22T17:40:00.002-04:00

More and more often I’m seeing articles about carbon credits and offsets. If you’re not familiar, here’s the deal…

Throughout the day, each of us creates a certain amount of pollution. We drive cars, heat and cool our homes and offices, all the while creating greenhouse gases. Trees and plants absorb lots of those greenhouse gases, keeping them from floating up into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. The more trees and plants, the more carbon is sequestered from the air. Conversely, less vegetation means less sequestering.

In their attempts to save the planet, some environmentalists have come up with a scheme by which people and companies can offset the pollution they create. By paying money to people who grow trees and plants, they feel that their carbon “footprint” can be counteracted. Best I can figure, proponents of these carbon credits believe the cash payments will lead to more land being left undeveloped, more forestland being allowed to stand uncleared. Perhaps more land will be planted in trees, to take advantage of the payments.

Put more simply… we pollute, but we can write a check, assuage our guilt and continue polluting guilt-free.

I can’t say the idea is completely without merit, but I do have some very serious doubts. First, the environmental projects the credit payments go to would be undertaken anyway. For example, land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is eligible for carbon credit programs. These landowners are already being paid by the government for keeping this land in long-term conservation. Tree farmers are eligible for carbon credit programs. They grow trees and care for the forests already. Again, being paid for doing what they would do otherwise. Carbon credit money going to these growers is accomplishing nothing, aside from helping clear someone’s conscience.

Another problem I have with this scheme: who’s checking all these projects to ensure that the emission reducing steps are actually taking place? Is there any oversight?

These carbon credits are traded like a commodity on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Credits are traded in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are essentially mutual funds for the masses. They allow an average individual investor to buy into a diversified pool of assets in small amounts and with minimal cost. Carbon credits essentially give companies the right to pollute and their value will almost certainly go up as governments of all major economies will eventually have to tax corporations for environmental damage. As investors buy up carbon credits, the cost to pollute will rise. The value of the international carbon market was reportedly about US$60 billion in 2007.

An investigation by Financial Times last year uncovered worthless credits that yielded no reductions in carbon emissions; little or no verification of supposed emission reduction projects; companies making big profits from carbon trading for very small expenditures and in some cases for clean-ups that they would have made
anyway.

I guess my biggest concern about the idea could be summed up with one question... how can there be specific proof that the money going into credits is actually providing a meaningful step? I've seen estimates of as much as $70 billion in carbon credit sales by 2010. I'd gladly wager that no more than a tenth of that amount will actually be spent on new carbon offsetting programs. Paying people to do what they would have done anyway... that doesn't count. Wasted money.

Hypothetical: As an individual, say I want to buy carbon offsets to make up for my family's polluting. What guarantee do I have that the money will go anywhere but some speculator's pockets? Say it actually makes it to someone raising forestland for carbon sequestering. Will my money make any difference in the future of that forestland? Or would those trees be there for years and years regardless? Did my money just go into that tree farmer's gas tank?

To me, the idea of carbon credits is just too "pie in the sky" for me. To see if something sounds like a good idea, I've always believed in actually saying it out loud. How does it sound then? I think I'll try it now. Say it aloud with me, if you'd like.

"I may be producing too much greenhouse gas. To offset the pollution I'm creating, I'm going to give away some of my hard-earned money. I won't have anything concrete to show for it. Just a piece of paper saying I've offset my fair share. Oh... and a clear conscience!"

One word comes to mind: naive

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To read more on carbon credits

Carbon Credits Were a Great Idea, But the Benefits Are Illusory

National Farmers Union Talks About Credits

Creators of carbon credit scheme cashing in on it

GSU Feasibility Study To Take Next Step

2008-05-22T08:07:00.002-04:00

The Savannah Morning News is reporting that Atlanta-based Rosser International will be awarded the bid to conduct Georgia Southern's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) feasibility study. The move could come in the next few days. It'll be interesting to see what the response is to the study, which the article says could last 4 - 6 months.

Do We Still Want To Win?

2008-05-19T16:58:00.004-04:00

A recent Rasmussen poll found that 49% of Americans believe victory is likely in Iraq under a John McCain presidency. The poll found that only 20% believe it would happen under an Obama presidency. Could this be telling for McCain? Probably not. However, if national security becomes one of the two or three key issues in the November election, it would certainly favor McCain.

When I saw this poll, the first thing that came to mind was the opening address in the movie Patton. Particularly, this line...

"...all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."

It used to be that way. Sadly, the last four decades have changed all that. A vast portion of this country has lost the will to fight.

During the first 165 years of our nation's existence, Americans fought to protect this country, to build it, to make it the greatest nation on Earth. Americans were proud. They worked hard to make the U.S. strong. They fought to keep her free, and to free people around the globe from tyranny and despotism. Americans fought for ideals, for rights. Not rights granted by the government, but rights inherent to us all. Rights, as the Constitution described, "that they are endowed by their Creator".

Things have changed dramatically during the past four decades. According to the "enlightened" liberals in our land, blind patriotism is just wrong. The only true patriots are those challenging the government. According to them, fighting is evil. They say war is wrong and never justified. They see our military as something to be derided and reviled, not praised and appreciated. To the Left, at best, the military is a necessary evil. Those on the Left see organized religion, one of the foundations this nation was built upon, as a joke. Traditional faith, morals and values are alien to them. They can absolutely be the most mean-spirited, hateful people you will ever meet (see Democratic Underground; Warning: Graphic Language). They mock, insult, ridicule and castigate anyone who sees things differently, all the while basking in their self-righteousness.

The USA was once the symbol for all that was possible in this world. Now, more often than not, we're a punch line.

The Rasmussen poll shows that more people think the U.S. would see victory in Iraq under McCain than Obama. What will it mean, then, if Obama wins in November? I say it shows that Americans no longer care about winning.

In this America, with all due apologies to the late General Patton, the very thought of winning is hateful to Americans.

Such A Peaceful Religion

2008-05-15T10:52:00.000-04:00

Muslims in Pakistan want a Christian doctor hanged for blasphemy. A mob of 200 Muslims stormed his home and tried to kill the family, before police intervened. His crime... he allegedly made derogatory comments about the Prophet Muhammad's beard and the Holy Quran.

Yep, a kind, peaceful religion.

Sign Of The Apocolypse ?

2008-05-14T11:33:00.000-04:00

Terry McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton, blames her lack of campaign success on "a biased media", estimating that 90% of the media favor Obama. He might be correct. But get this...

He also praised Fox News as “one of the most responsible in this presidential campaign.”

Wow!

Won't Hear This In The Mainstream Media

2008-05-11T20:03:00.002-04:00

Here's a moving story about a U.S. soldier in Iraq who worked for months to get prosthetic legs for an Iraqi girl who lost hers in a roadside bomb blast. He admits he has questions about why we're there, but he says...

"Since I have been in Iraq, seeing her has given me every reason I need to justify our presence here. If nothing made sense, she did."

It's a really touching story.

75 Skills Every Man Should Master

2008-05-06T20:02:00.003-04:00

Wow! The folks at Esquire Magazine have compiled the definitive list of things every man should be able to do. I've gotta say, I feel like I've got about 15 of these mastered. A few more I'm working diligently on. A few of my favorites...

Argue with a European without insulting soccer.

Point to the north at any time.

Know when to split your cards in blackjack.

Nearly all of these will come up in our lives at some point. Wouldn't it be great to be prepared?

Don't Bite My Nose!

2008-05-01T17:40:00.000-04:00

The cutest monkey picture you'll see today.

Congrats To Jayson Foster

2008-04-28T09:36:00.002-04:00

Even though he wasn't selected in this weekend's NFL draft, GSU star and Walter Payton Award winner Jayson Foster was invited to camp with the Miami Dolphins. Bill Parcells called to personally invite him, according to the article.

This Guy Nails Brian VanGorder

2008-04-17T08:22:00.003-04:00

I found this in a sports blog run by the Dublin Courier-Herald. It oh-so-accurately pegs Brian VanGorder for what he is. Hilarious!

I had imagined this whole blog about the Falcons 2008 schedule. But regardless of whether Matt Ryan is leading the offense, or Glenn Dorsey is leading the defense, does anybody care that Atlanta is opening at home against the Lions?

Thank God for Brian VanGorder. (Didn't expect that to ever come out of my mouth, did you?)

In an Associated Press piece written by George Henry, VanGorder found a way to paint himself as a football journeyman searching for steady work, and most important, a settled life for his caravaning family.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

When you look a little deeper at what VanGorder said in the article, you see that he's less like a leader of one of the lost tribes of Israel, and more like a teenager job-hopping between summer jobs.

I looked online through Rosetta Stone, Babelfish, even Muzzy, but couldn't find any literal translation software to accomodate the task at hand.

So I invented my own BS-to-English Dictionary and Phrase Book specifically for VanGorder.

It took hours of hard work (actually about five minutes, with breaks in-between to listen to W. stumble over his introduction of Pope Benedict XVI. "Welcome to Amurika, your Holy Sepulchur-ness. I would greatly enjoy an opportunity to break bread with you, but you know we use Texas Toast at the White House instead of those little wafers. Don't mess with Texas.")

Let's take a look at what VanGorder said, and then see what he really meant:

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No. 1: ‘‘What we’re looking for is to help our players understand the terminology of the scheme. We want them to be able to (get to) the ball and not be paralyzed by a new language.’’

Translation: Dear Mr. Belichick, by simply looking at my use of words like "terminology" and "language," it's easy to see that I am more than qualified to be your linebackers coach. I also like cut-off pullovers, and wear them regularly during my morning jog.

After holding six different jobs for five teams over the past four years, including one season as head coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles, VanGorder bailed on the Falcons Dec. 19 to take the defensive coordinator's post at South Carolina, only to leave four weeks later to return to the Falcons as their new defensive coordinator.

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No. 2: ‘‘You know, as I look at my career, I made one questionable decision, but I still look at that as a positive. It was a good experience. Wherever you are, you meet good people, and I choose to look at all these experiences as being positive.’’

Translation: I'm a chameleon. You ever seen one of 'em? They can be anything they want. I heard one time a chameleon turned into a large order of McDonald's french fries, but had to change back because it contained trans-fatty oils. You have to be ready for change. Just like I changed Georgia Southern from perennial playoff contender to door mat in one season. But who am I kidding, I got tired of talking to the old men at Snooky's, and the college crowds at El Sombrero made it impossible for me to relax in front of my plate of chiles rellenos. And the only guy I liked was the door greeter at the Super Wal-Mart.

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No. 3: ‘‘My situation last year was one that I just didn’t have any control of with Bobby leaving. The tough thing for me as a father of my five children, we’ve had to move around, change schools and my wife’s had to start anew in communities with friendships and those sorts of things. Coaching football is coaching football. We can really do that anywhere, but my family — that’s the part that’s been really difficult.’’

Translation: Sure I may have spent the last six months sleeping on the sofa in the movie room of my 7,000 sq. ft. Gwinnett home, but in the end: It's all about the caysh!

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No. 4: ‘‘Fortunately, being in the Jacksonville system, it’s not a difficult transition for me. From where I stand and from where my eyes are, I’m a little bit on the run because I’ve been so focused on linebackers.’’

Translation: I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. In fact, just the other day, I had to borrow my son's copy of Madden NFL '07 to figure out what "Cover 2" meant.

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No. 5: ‘‘It’s a privilege to work in the National Football League. It’s a privilege to coach football for a living. I love it out here.’’

Translation: Here, I got 25, 25, 25, 25. Do I hear 30, 30, 30, 30? 30, 30, 30? I got 30. Do I hear 35, 35, 35, 35?

I Feel That Dodger Hate Rebuilding

2008-04-08T20:45:00.001-04:00

As a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, I have less than stellar memories of the boys in blue from LA. When the Braves were mired in the National League West along with the Dodgers, a bitter rivalry built between the two. At least it did from the Braves side; the Dodgers probably couldn't have cared less. Anyway, there was hate f0r them for the Braves fans.

That pretty much died out when the NL was realigned, and we wound up in the East with the (now) hated Mets. But I started feeling a little bit of the old dislike when I saw this article.

Seems the Dodgers no longer allow kids to gather in the stands around the dugout to ask for autographs. See, those areas now are home to box seats. Only box seat ticket holders are allowed in the area. That means only the few kids sitting in the box seat areas can ask players for autographs. Another situation where tradition (which, by the way, is what made baseball great) is being kicked to the curb. So idiotic.

Free TV Programs Online

2008-03-21T14:53:00.002-04:00

I just discovered Hulu.com, and it's become one of my very favorite sites. They offer FREE full episodes of many current and past television shows, as well as special clips and behind-the-scenes looks at other shows. There are even some sports programs available.

You can also watch more than a hundred full-length movies for free. There aren't a lot of relatively new movies, but still a good selection.

The video looks great, but you've got to have a broadband connection.