"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
President Ronald Reagan
50 years ago, my parents were getting dressed up to go welcome the new year of 1959.
Like most Cubans, they were optimistic about the future.
To say the least, there were no Cubans desperately trying to swim over to the US. There were no lines outside foreign embassies looking for any loophole to get out of the country. (Cubans clamor for Spanish passports)
"New Year's Day marks 50 years of communist rule in Cuba. The Castro oligarchy will trumpet its survival and celebrate.
But the reality, up close, is that it's the longest-running failure in the New World.
Spare us the fireworks and media-parroted claims of Fidel Castro's dictatorship bringing universal health care and education to Cuba.
The real story is that a prosperous Cuba was turned into ruins in just five decades."
Also, spare me the "blame the US" message, too! Spare me the "blame the US embargo" nonsense. Cuba can do business with any country in the world. The US embargo has not stopped the EU, Canada or Mexico from doing business with Cuba. What's the problem? Read on:
""It's a major failure," Carmelo Mesa-Lago, a University of Pittsburgh economist, told IBD.
"Cuba is unable to increase food production to meet its needs and now imports 84% of its food.
Cuba produced 7 million tons of sugar in 1952.
This year, it's 1.5 million tons.
This is the result of economic policy of collectivization, killing of individual incentive, inefficiency, constant changes of policy."
50 years of lies, corruption and economic failure.
"Vicki L. Iseman filed the defamation suit in U.S. District Court in Richmond. It also names as defendants the Times' executive editor, its Washington bureau chief and four reporters" (AP)
Do you remember the outrageous story linking Miss Iseman romantically with Sen. McCain? It was one of the worst performances by The NY Times! It was a clear cut demonstration that The NY Times was in the tank for Obama!
Let's hope that Miss Iseman can win her case. Furthermore, let's hope that The NY Times has any money to pay the judgement.
Thomas Lifson has been reporting on The NY Times' financial decline for years. This is how he puts it:
"For the New York Times Company, 2008 has been an annus horibilis."
I remember Latin from my days as an altar boy. I remember enough Latin to confirm that annus horiblis is not a good thing.
Will the despicable NY Times be around to endorse someone in 2012? I don't know for sure. I do expect them to make a lot of editorial excuses for Pres. Obama, specially when he keeps troops in Iraq and uses military force without consulting with our allies!
Israel "Cachao" López died in 2008. This is a little bit about Cachao:
"Born in Havana in 1918, he came from a family of musicians and studied classical music. He began his public career at 8 years old, playing bongos in a children’s group.
A year later, he had stood on a crate to play bass for the Cuban pianist and singer, Bola de Nieve, accompanying silent films.
At 13, he became the bassist of the Havana Philharmonic, and he performed with the orchestra from 1930 to 1960.
But he also played Havana clubs with his brother Orestes, working with a noted Cuban dance orchestra, Arcaño y Sus Maravillas, and with their own groups."
Both men stood up to Hitler and the Soviet Union., the two great evils of the 20th century
Cardinal Mindszenty's life was just amazing:
"Joseph Mindszenty was born in Hungary on March 29, 1892.
He was ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of the Sacred heart of Jesus on June 12, 1915, and was consecrated Bishop of Veszprem on March 25, 1944.
From November 27, 1944 to April 20, 1945, he was imprisoned by the Nazis.
Pope Pius XII appointed him Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary on October 2, 1945.
Just a few months later, on February 18, 1946, the Holy Father raised him to the Cardinalate.
As Pope Pius XII placed the Cardinal's hat on his head, the Pope said:
"Among the thirty-two, you will be the first to suffer the martyrdom whose symbol this red color is."
When the Communists arrested Cardinal Mindszenty in Budapest on December 26, 1948, his twenty-three long years of persecution, suffering and enforced isolation began.
Throughout his ordeals, he was unwavering in his faith, hope and love of God.
Upon the request of Pope Paul VI, Cardinal Mindszenty departed from his country of Hungary, still occupied by the Communists, on September 29, 1971, and settled in Vienna, Austria.
He died there at the age of 83 on May 6, 1975.
Today, Cardinal Mindszenty is buried in the Church of the Assumption, the Basilica of Esztergom, Hungary, where pilgrims visit daily and pray for his intercession in their needs."
Now, that's a guy who doesn't read polls or tells people what they want to hear!
First, they started 7-16. It was painful to watch.
Second, they played well and got within a realistic challenge to the wild card. They were 6 back of Boston in August! (The AL West was out of contention because the Angels ran away with it!)
Third, the team collapsed again. It was painful to watch again!
They finished at 79-83. This is the eighth losing season in nine years.
The pitchers? They had too many injuries and the highest ERA in baseball.
How do you win a division with the highest ERA in the majors? You can't and the Rangers didn't.
What can we look forward to in 2009?
The Angels will be weaker. Oakland and Seattle have huge question marks.
The Rangers should be better, specially if Milwood and Padilla are healthy. They are both proven major league pitchers who could win 15-18 games each.
Can they add Ben Sheets? It'd be nice but I wouldn't give Sheets a long term contract because of those arm injuries.
What can we look forward to?
Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, a healthy Hank Blalock, Chris Davis, etc.
We have young players but we need more veteran pitching. Frankly, we need another starter to compete in the AL West.
The first option was to do what VP Nixon did in 1960, i.e. accept results and move on. Nixon had lost the presidency to JFK by 114,000 votes out 76 million! Nixon was under pressure to ask for recounts in Illinois and Texas!
In other words, recounts are always bad for the country. They don't help anyone, except the wackos in the left or right who buy into conspiracy theories.
By the way, Nixon was elected pesident 8 years later.
The second option was to play the victim card and let wackos promote the canard that Bush stole the election.
Of course, Bush did not steal the 2000 election. Bush won Gore's Tennessee and Clinton's Arkansas! Bush won the electoral college, which is the same way that every president has been elected since George Washington!
To make matters worse, Gore also went silly with global warming. Unfortunately, the global warming message is really cold, as they say in "hide and seek".
IBD has a great editorial:
"Global temperatures stopped rising after 1998 and have plummeted in the last two years by more than 0.5 degrees Celsius.
The 2007-08 temperature drop was not predicted by global climate models.
It was predictable by a decline in sunspot activity since 2000 and by a cyclical ocean-current phenomenon known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
On CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" recently, Jay Lehr, a senior fellow and science director at the Heartland Institute, was asked by the host what he considered the dominant influence on Earth's climate.
"Well, clearly, Lou, it is the sun," Lehr answered, adding that "if we go back in really recorded human history; in the 13th century, we were probably seven degrees Fahrenheit warmer than we are now."
Lehr considers global cooling to be the real threat, part of a natural pattern as we continue coming out of a period known as the Little Ice Age.
"If we go back to the Revolutionary War, 300 years ago," he said, "it was very, very cold. We've been warming out of that cold spell from the Revolutionary War period. And now we're back into a cooling cycle."
The Associated Press claims that the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since Bill Clinton's second inaugural. But after it was discovered that NASA's James Hansen, Gore's chief scientific ally, had been fudging the numbers, the agency was forced to correct its data.
The 10 warmest years turn out to be, in descending order: 1934, 1998, 1921, 2006, 1931, 1999, 1953, 1990, 1938 and 1939.
If there's a trend there, we don't see it. So is global warming man-made and an imminent danger? As the snow falls in Vegas, don't bet on it."
Why is Al Gore speaking at wacko environmentalist meetings in Europe rather than attending his inauguration as president in a couple of weeks?
You can blame Gore and how he reacted to the 2000 election.
The Tampa Bay Rays stunned the sports world by winning the AL pennant:
"With an average age of 27, Tampa Bay experienced an unprecedented franchise turnaround. Its 31-win improvement ranks as the third-greatest turnaround in American League history and the biggest margin since the 1989 Orioles.
The Rays' 97 wins tied the Cubs for second-most in the Majors, catapulting them to their first AL East title.
Once in the postseason, the Rays defeated the White Sox in the AL Division Series and took a best-of-7 set from the Red Sox in the ALCS."
The Rays showed up in spring training with a new attitude. They went out and beat Boston and New York.
Can they do it again? They have the talent. They have some of the best young players in baseball.
Again, can they do it again? We will know soon! Repeating is always the hardest thing at the major league level.
Again, Laura Bush quietly worked very hard to promote women's rights in places where women do not have rights:
"In Africa, she met with Ghanan mothers involved in a nutritional program for underweight children. Later, she helped raise money for one woman who lost a child.
She and daughter Jenna also sat in a semi-circle with Zambian women who had tested positive for HIV and their caregivers.
She met there with young rape victims, one of whom was raising her siblings after her parents had died.
In Afghanistan, she traveled to a rural province to meet the nation's only female governor, walking arm-in-arm to show support.
Big brass would rarely visit such a poor province.
America's first lady did, meeting entrepreneurs, attending a school run by the U.S./Afghan Women's Council and visiting children who had been orphaned by the Taliban's savagery.
In Saudi Arabia, she met victims of breast cancer, a disease the kingdom considers taboo.
She met survivors secluded in a pink tent, where they gather privately to share experiences.
Her visit had a Betty Ford-like quality, encouraging women to get treatment for a disease they were ashamed to discuss.
A latter-day Betty Ford is, in fact, a good way to describe Mrs. Bush.
She's a traditional wife in a Republican family.
But she used her position to bring attention to difficult problems."
Pres. & Mrs. Bush will be flying back to Texas in a few weeks. They will live in Crawford and their new home in Dallas. I'm sure that the First Lady will be actively involved in the new Pres. GW Bush Library at SMU.
Most of all, we will miss her smile and lovely face. She was a wonderful First Lady! Laura has come a long way from her librarian days in West Texas.
Pres. Obama promised to increase our troop levels in Afghanistan. He believes, as many Dems do, that "we took our eye off the ball".
How are we going to send all of these troops to Afghanistan?
How can we do that? It won't be easy, unless you bring back some kind of draft.
Today, I saw this poll:
"When asked how they feel about President-elect Barack Obama as commander in chief, six out of 10 active-duty service members say they are uncertain or pessimistic, according to a Military Times survey.
In follow-up interviews, respondents expressed concerns about Obama's lack of military service and experience leading men and women in uniform.
''Being that the Marine Corps can be sent anywhere in the world with the snap of his fingers, nobody has confidence in this guy as commander in chief," said one lance corporal who asked not to be identified.
Underlying much of the uncertainty is Obama's stated 16-month timetable for pulling combat troops out of Iraq, as well as his calls to end the ''don't ask, don't tell" policy to allow gays to serve openly in the military, according to survey responses and interviews.
Like most of you, I love the environment. I love clean air. I love clean lakes. I want to protect polar bears as much as any one.
Finally, the global warming debate has gone from politics to science. I agree with Christopher Booker:
"Easily one of the most important stories of 2008 has been all the evidence suggesting that this may be looked back on as the year when there was a turning point in the great worldwide panic over man-made global warming.
Just when politicians in Europe and America have been adopting the most costly and damaging measures politicians have ever proposed, to combat this supposed menace, the tide has turned in three significant respects.
First, all over the world, temperatures have been dropping in a way wholly unpredicted by all those computer models which have been used as the main drivers of the scare.
Last winter, as temperatures plummeted, many parts of the world had snowfalls on a scale not seen for decades.
This winter, with the whole of Canada and half the US under snow, looks likely to be even worse.
After several years flatlining, global temperatures have dropped sharply enough to cancel out much of their net rise in the 20th century."
Everybody needs to stop and count to ten. The Poles are not melting any time soon!
Down in Cuba, Raul Castro said this about the economic problems:
""The accounts don't square up," he said. "You have to act with realism and adjust the dreams to the true possibilities," said Castro, who officially replaced his ailing older brother Fidel Castro as president in February.
"Two plus two always equals four, never five," he said."
What's the problem?
Castro came down very hard on Cubans who don't work and get state handouts:
"Castro said Cuban managers need to demand more from their workers, who receive free education and health care and subsidized food rations but on average earn only $20 a month.
"I have arrived at the conclusion that one of our big problems is a lack of systemic demand," said Castro."
So Cubans are lazy and they don't want to work?
That's funny.
They didn't say that about Cuba before the Castro brothers took over the country.
They don't say that about Cubans in the US!
P.S. Pres-elect Obama should read Castro's Cuba at 50 (Wash Times editorial) before changing anything in Cuba:
"Mr. Obama has said he wants to improve relations with Cuba, and is willing to talk to Fidel and Raul Castro with few restrictions.
He said he would start by lifting restrictions on relatives, allowing regular trips to Cuba, letting them sending relatives in Cuba whatever amount of money they wanted to send. (President Bush in 2004 had tightened restrictions on Cuban-Americans, limiting them to one visit to immediate family members every three years and allowing them to send no more than $1,200 a year.)
But a number of analysts warn that lifting restrictions on travel and money only strengthens the regime without helping the people, and that at best only a small minority of people benefit.
At various times in the past two decades the Cuban government has allowed private enterprise and financial exchanges, then crushed it when it started to present a danger to the regime.
Mr. Obama would be wise - and would avoid a potentially humiliating embarrassment with rippling effects on many other areas of foreign policy - if he took a long, hard look at Cuba under the Castros before making any unilateral concessions.
Since the Cuban leopard hasn't changed its spots in the past half-century, there is virtually no reason to believe it will be so charmed by Mr. Obama's smiling visage that it will suddenly do so and purr like a kitten."
Again, nothing will happen in Cuba until the Castro brothers leave voluntarily or involuntarily. In the meantime, remember Dr. Biscet and that Real heroes are in Castro's prisons!
"What we now know is that Mr. Clinton was indiscriminating when it came to accepting cash from all sorts of countries.
He took money from poor countries like Jamaica, and more prosperous countries like Italy. He dipped into the Irish Aid Fund and the Swedish Postal Lottery for big money, and for small money from the Social Economic Council of the Netherlands.
And then there was an especially strange source from which he schnorrered: Citgo, Hugo Chávez's oil company.
Even if the revolucion didn't gain points for this, it is unseemly for an American president to ask the energy company of the Venezuelan dictatorship for spare cash.
So where did all this fund-raised money go?
Wouldn't you want to know to which philanthropic undertaking the King of Saudi Arabia and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques committed himself?
This information is not in the report -- and it doesn't look like President-elect Obama has any interest in pushing for further disclosure.
Maybe the king just gave to general expenses."
As always, Bill Clinton is one very controversial fellow. I can't wait for Hillary Clinton's answers at the confirmation hearings.
P.S. What would they say about Sarah Pallin if "The First Dude" was running out collecting huge amounts of cash from other countries?
"But a strange thing is happening on the way to the coronation. The wheels of the bandwagon are coming off. Fantasy is giving way to inescapable truth. That truth is that Kennedy is not ready for the job and doesn't deserve it. Somebody who loves her should tell her.
Her quest is becoming a cringe-inducing experience, as painful to watch as it must be to endure.
Because she is the only survivor of that dreamy time nearly 50 years ago, she remains an iconic figure.
But in the last few days, her mini-campaign has proved she has little to offer New Yorkers except her name."
P.S. The Beach Boys recorded a song entitled "Caroline no". It's a perfect message for Caroline.
How do we know that Pres. Bush made the right call in Iraq? Take a look at the incoming Obama administration.
As The Wash Post editorialized recently, BO was very lucky to be wrong about the surge in Iraq:
"Though we don't expect him to say so, Mr. Obama is fortunate that he was wrong, both about the surge and about the capacity of Iraq's leaders." (Road Map in Iraq)
We are happy that the President elect turned out to be lucky rather than good. It pays to be lucky once in a while.
Let's hope that the new president thanks the outgoing president for doing the right thing in Iraq. ("Hey George, thanks for doing what none of us had the political guts to do. We read polls and you governed!")
More than that, let's hope that Pres. Obama has Pres. Bush's toughness! Let's hope that he will be tough enough to do the right thing when every poll tells him that he is unpopular.
"As A&M's first female president – and the university's youngest in more than 100 years – Dr. Murano has blazed several trails befitting a finalist for Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.
But without hesitating, she says the barrier she has broken that means the most to her is becoming the first Hispanic to lead one of Texas' two flagship universities.
A naturalized citizen from Cuba, she tells about a female Hispanic student who wrote her soon after she was chosen as president.
The student had struggled and wasn't sure the degree was worth it, but she was inspired by Dr. Murano, who often repeats the challenge she heard over the years from her mother:
"Why not me?" "
We are cheering for Dr. Murano! Texas A&M is one of the finest universities in the US. We are proud to have two sons as Aggies. We are also hoping for a better football team next year!
Of course, she took over when Mr. Gates, the former school president, was selected as Pres. Bush's Secretary of Defense in 2006!
Mike Modano has been here since 1993. He played in back to back Stanley Cups. He is one of the most popular athletes in North Texas. He continues to play hard despite his veteran status.
"Mike Modano scored at 3:24 of overtime, and Mike Ribeiro tied it late in regulation in the Dallas Stars' 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
Modano, the career goals leader among U.S.-born players with 540, scored on a one-timer from the top of the right circle off a pass from Brad Richards."
This is a cartoon mocking Lincoln because there were fears of an assasination attempt while travelling to Washington to assume the Presidency.
It's a shame that BO has not spent some time reading the real story of Abraham Lincoln.
It's even worse that so many journalists have not either!
BO may learn that Lincoln was not a poll reader.
After all, Lincoln spent much of his presidency as a hugely unpopular man. Thankfully, we did not have Gallup or Rasmussen or NY Times polls back then! Lincoln's approval ratings may have been in single digits!
Abe told a whole nation what it did not want to hear about slavery.
Obama told millions what they wanted to hear about Iraq, GITMO and just about everything else!
The alleged Lincoln-Obama link has become so pervasive that even those of a liberal bent are beginning to protest."
Again, Bush is a far better comparison to Lincoln, specially to those who have actually read the history of the Civil War:
"As president, Bush confronted Democratic opponents of the Iraq war who echoed the rhetoric of the Copperheads.
The latter described Lincoln as a bloodthirsty tyrant, trampling the rights of Southerners and Northerners alike.
Today's Copperheads described Bush as the world's worst terrorist, comparable to Hitler.
But the actions of the Copperheads of today went far beyond unpleasant words.
Antiwar Democrats' expressions about "supporting the troops" rang hollow in light of Democratic efforts to hamstring the ability of the United States to achieve its objectives in Iraq until the success of the surge took the issue off the table.
The parallels between Lincoln and Bush regarding civil liberties during a period of emergency are even more striking.
In June of 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Erasmus Corning, who had sent him the resolutions of the Albany Democratic convention censuring the Lincoln administration for what it called unconstitutional acts, such as military arrests of civilians in the North.
This letter remains the best articulation of the problems that a democratic republic faces when confronted by a crisis that threatens the very existence of that republic."
Let's cut the Obama crap.
Obama is not Lincoln, FDR or even Washington.
Obama is Obama.
I'm not sure what that means yet!
We will be in a better position to answer that question in a couple of years!
In the meantime, did I hear that VP elect Biden is worried? He is worried that expectations are too high here, there and everywhere! (High expectations worry Biden)
Today, Bill Katz posted the news that Israeli jets dropped a few bombs in Gaza:
"The Israeli Air Force on Saturday launched a massive attack on Hamas targets throughout Gaza in retaliation for the recent heavy rocket fire from the area, hitting mostly security headquarters, training compounds and weapons storage facilities, the Israeli military and witnesses said."
Of course, everyone regrets civilian losses. However, how would you like to have your city hit by missiles over and over? What about Israeli civilians?
Israel is right to defend itself.
So far, Pres. Bush regretted the civilian losses but supported Israel's right to defend itself.
Let's hope that we don't hear something vague from Obama, as we did when the Russians invaded Georgia!
"When the drug war in Juarez began earlier this year, everyone thought it was a fleeting thing, that life would get back to normal after a couple of months and a few executions.
The cartels, officials predicted six months ago when the number of dead was 400, would simply go back to their business of smuggling dope into the U.S.
Instead, in the past year, Juarez has become one of the most violent cities in the world -- certainly in the Americas -- with more than 1,500 homicides, a number that escalated starting in the middle of the year."
Can you believe this? Iraq is safer than northern Mexico:
"This month, about 26 people a day are dying from criminal and terrorist violence a day in Iraq.
That's a bit lower than the death toll in northern Mexico, which on a bad day (like last November 3rd) saw 58 people killed.
The police are generally helpless, hundreds of thousands of middle-class Mexicans have fled the border region, often to the United States (if they had dual-citizenship, which many do).
Those without money must hunker down and wait for someone to win this war.
The drug gangs show no signs of weakening, although the army believes that it can prevail in the next year or so."
These headlines are indeed very depressing.
However, I'm still betting on Mexico.
Why? Mexico is very fortunate to have the right man in the presidency.
I agree with Austin Bay that Pres. Calderon is tough:
"With four years left in his term, Calderon is proving to be a world-class political talent, a brilliant combination of democratic statesman with long-term strategic vision, a savvy domestic political leader who addresses the Mexican public's aspirations and can work with a volatile national legislature, and a wartime leader with extraordinary personal courage."
It won't be easy for Pres. Calderon and the good people of Mexico.
It won't be easy because Mexico could turn into a failed state, a failed state of 100 million people on our southern border.
This is what George Friedman of STRATFOR wrote about a few months ago:
"We are not yet at the worst-case scenario, and we may never get there.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, perhaps with assistance from the United States, may devise a strategy to immunize his government from intimidation and corruption and take the war home to the cartels.
This is a serious possibility that should not be ruled out.
2008 was a bad year. We can't say anything different.
Let's hope that 2009 is better, although most experts see no downturn in violence.
Beyond Mexico, our presidential election did not discuss Mexico. I believe that we will regret that.
Pres elect Obama took the easy road of "feel good saying nothing".
He told union workers in PA and Ohio what they wanted to hear about NAFTA and free trade. Hillary Clinton didn't do any better.
McCain was more supportive of free trade with Mexico, as well as Colombia. He also mentioned in his speeches the national security implications of a failed state in Mexico.
Obama said nothing about the border or the larger question of the war in Mexico.
Again, it was all "Sweet nothings", as in the lyrics of that Brenda Lee song!
I guess that there was no room for Mexico in the "Hope and change" parade.
Obama will regret that.
Obama will be under union pressure to renegotiate NAFTA. Didn't he make that promise?
Obama will also face the reality that renegotiating NAFTA is the last thing that Pres. Calderon needs at this time.
We will regret allowing Obama to say "sweet nothings" about Mexico! In the meantime, check out this video from STRATFOR, a consultant group that has been doing some great work about Mexico:
"Jim Morin of the Miami Herald has the best editorial cartoon on the Barack Obama - Rick Warren flap I’ve yet seen, and it points out not just hypocrisy but also the interesting threshold for outrage on the Left."
BO made a bunch of campaign promises that he can't responsibly keep. From Iraq to giving 95% of us a tax cut, BO now faces the reality of governing.
Enjoy Ed's post. Enjoy the cartoon. Again, the left is going to get very hysterical with Obama as time passes. I guess that's what happens when you vote for someone who tells you what you want to hear!
"1. It wouldn’t be the first time a Democratic leader privately approved a secret Bush policy reviled by the left.
See, e.g., Madam Speaker giving thumbs up to CIA interrogation sites in 2002, back when the political calculus on counterterrorism measures was a wee bit different than it is now.
Apparently, she was willing to take a tough line on terror so long as she didn’t have to suffer any political consequences among her base.
Apply that same logic and you’ll see why Democrats might not have been eager to see Bush come to Congress seeking public authorization.
2. As
Maguire notes, the New York Times reported three years ago on Democratic acquiescence in the wiretapping program — although the detail provided by Cheney about them discouraging him from seeking congressional approval appears to be new. (Democrats claimed predictably in 2005 that the briefings they’d gotten hadn’t revealed how extensive the program was.)
Three Democrats did object at various points, one of whom was Pelosi in the form of a letter sent in October 2001.
But unless I’m misreading it, the crux of her concern wasn’t that the NSA was wiretapping people without Congress’s or a court’s approval.
It was that Bush hadn’t yet specifically authorized the practice at the time.
3. It’s now more than 24 hours since the Cheney interview aired and nary a peep from any of the Dems accused.
If this is some egregious smear or lie, they’re being curiously shy about calling him on it."
The Dems are poll readers. Back in the 9-11 days, the Dems read polls and concluded that it was in their "political interest" to support Bush and Cheney.
Shameful poll readers, a.k.a. as Democrats!
Let's see what happens now that Dems, not Bush-Cheney, will be accountable for attacks on the mainland.
The Bush-Cheney is pretty good: No attacks on the mainland since 9-11.
My guess is that the Obama administration won't change much now that they are the ones getting the daily terrorist briefing.
"Global warming theory represents one of the greatest scientific con games in history.
The putative intellectual foundations are based on data manipulated to support the desired conclusion, and have been conclusively debunked."
In Whatever Happened to Global Warming? (Because we could sure use some of it right about now), Deroy Murdock breaks a lot of fanatical hearts with a little truth:
"Actually, the odds are rising that snow, ice, and cold will grow increasingly common.
As serious scientists repeatedly explain, global cooling is here. It is chilling temperatures — if not the climate alarmists’ fevered expectations of so-called “global warming.”
According to the National Climatic Data Center, 2008 will be America’s coldest year since 1997, thanks to La Niña and precipitation in the central and eastern states.
Solar quietude also may underlie global cooling.
This year’s sunspots and solar radiation approach the minimum in the Sun’s cycle, corresponding with lower Earth temperatures.
This echoes Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Dr. Sallie Baliunas’ belief that solar variability, much more than CO2, sways global temperatures."
The sun has a bigger impact on climate change than anything that we humans can do in this earth.
We are not suggesting carelessness and indifference toward the environment. After all, conservatives love clean air and beautiful lakes, too.
We are just suggesting a little restraint and humility.
The global warming crusade is a lot of hot air.
Guess what?
Global cooling is just around the corner!
Of course, it will all be the US's fault! What else is new?
Everybody's talking about the Cowboys, the Yankees' checkbook and the cold temperatures in North Texas.
Unfortunately, nobody is talking about the Mavericks.
I guess that fans are still angry with the 3 consecutive playoff disappointments.
Please look. The Mavs are actually playing very well. At 16-11, the Mavs are looking really good. They are playing as a team. It looks like Coach Rick Carlisle has settled down the team after those horrible playoff performances of recent years.
Of course, the jury is still out on this team. Let's see how they play in the spring.
The Mavs have always been a "fan friendly" team. Owner Mark Cuban has emphasized community relations ever since he bought the team a few years ago.
It helps to be "fan friendly" when you have players who actually like fans, such as Dirk Nowitzki, one the most popular pro athletes around here in a very long time.
At 14-14-5, the Stars are in last place but within a shot at the NHL playoffs. They have a great shot at moving up in their last 40-something games.
A couple of days ago, the Stars beat up Toronto, 8-2! I have never seen such a "wipe out" at the NHL level before. This is the kind of score that you'd expect out of a youth hockey league.
It's hard to believe that an NHL team could give up 8 goals! Of course, I've only been following NHL hockey since the Stars moved here in 1993.
Beyond beating the crap out of Toronto, the Stars played like a team for the first time in 2008. I agree with MIKE HEIKA:
"The Dallas Stars couldn't ask for a much better Christmas present than their 8-2 win in Toronto on Tuesday.
It sent players off in different directions with a warm, fuzzy feeling that all is well with the season.
But if the Stars hope to continue to push forward with more euphoria, they said it would be a good idea to look closely at how they produced that victory."
Yes, it was fun to watch.
My son called said:
"Are you watching the Stars? They are winning 6-0 and it's only the second period"!
Yes, I was. I hope to watch a few more victories the rest of the way!
P.S. We sure miss Brendan Morrow around here. He is out for the season and it shows in the way that the Stars are playing:
Mrs. Parker of The Christmas Story, played by Melinda Dillon, is so much like my mother growing up. We grew up between a very tropical Cuba and the snows of Wisconsin.
After all, didn't your mother:
1) break up a fight between you and one of the neighborhood kids? She broke up a few, specially one between my brother and I.
Where did mothers get the strength to stop a couple of boys from fighting?
2) put soap in your mouth when you said that awful word?
In our case, it was actually lots of mouthwash and appeals to good old fashioned Catholic guilt!
3) warn you about shooting your eyes out? What boy didn't want to have a rifle?
Every year, The Christmas Story is a holiday feature. I enjoy it a lot! The Chinese restaurant ending is great! I found this trailer. It is great:
"U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Angelina Mureno plays with a young Iraqi girl from the school for special needs children in Rumaythuh, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2008.
The students are visiting Combat Operations Base Adder to have the girl's hearing tested. If she qualifies, she will be given a hearing aid. Mureno is assigned to the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens MNF-Iraq)"
Isn't this great? I have personally heard these stories from returning soldiers. They are doing a great job and we salute Staff Sgt. Mureno and all of the others serving over there.
We will eat a nice meal tonight, go to midnight mass and open a few presents!
I love the midnight mass, specially since the kids are older. The midnight mass is one of the most beautiful traditions of the Catholic faith.
A few years ago, we went through the Santa Claus routine, i.e. go to bed early and put out the presents! We are free to enjoy the midnight mass again!
We wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Today, we recall Luke 2:1-20 and the whole point of this holiday:
"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."
Here is a music treat. I got this one in my car CD player. This is the late Luciano Pavarotti singing "Oh Holy Night":
Isn't Jennifer Rubin great? This is what she wrote about the Blago-BO affair:
"If only Scooter Libby had thought of this: conduct an internal report, exonerate himself, and release it during Christmas week when he and every other percipient witness were at an inaccessible holiday location.
Well, it wouldn’t have worked because the MSM would have regarded such a stunt coming from a Republican official as laughable.
Indeed it only would have spurred the press to gin up its own investigation into potential wrongdoing, if only to prove the self-exonerator wrong.
But the rules aren’t the same for the Democrats.
When Rahm Emanuel and the other Obama transition team members get a clean bill of health on Blago-gate from their own colleagues, the [1] MSM pronounces itself [2] satisfied.
But this is absurd.
A clean bill of health is only possible once all the facts are known.
And not many facts are known yet.
The transition team put out a [3] sketchy summary, without direct quotations, describing in broad terms its team members’ conversations with Blago and his advisors.
They did not release [4] emails or other records which might have shed light on the substance and tone of the conversations between the transition team and Blago (and his circle of advisors and emissaries).
They did not make any of the key players available to answer questions.
(Indeed, with Emanuel in Africa and the President-elect in Hawaii they are about as unavailable as one could possibly be.)
Rick Moran wrote a great post this week about the decency of a man named George W. Bush. We learned this week that Pres. Bush and VP Cheney have spent countless hours visiting and comforting the military families.
It's easy to see why this man is popular with military families!
"This Thursday morn, Julie McPhillips will awake to the great hope that is Christmas Day.
And amid her joy for the Savior born of woman in a Bethlehem stable, she will offer two prayers.
The first will be for her son, Lt. Brian McPhillips, killed in action in April 2003 as the First Marine Division fought its way into Baghdad.
The other will be for the man on whose orders Lt. McPhillips was sent to Iraq: George W. Bush.
You see, Julie McPhillips knows a side of the president that never seems to make it into the newspapers.
Since a meeting in the Oval Office a few years back, the two have exchanged letters, many written in the president's hand.
Through the sadness that binds them together, they look eye to eye and let their hearts do the talking."
As Pres. Bush completes two very consequential terms, we are learning more and more about this very decent man who had to make extremely difficult decisions. Thank God that Pres. Bush wasn't a poll reader!
What do these guys have in common? With all due respect to Manny Ramirez, they were the top 3 free agents this off season.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in free markets and capitalism. However, baseball needs 30 competitive teams. You have to sell tickets in places like Kansas City, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Oakland.
It stinks.
Are the Yankees guaranteed a pennant? They haven't won a World Series since 2000. They didn't even make the post-season in 2008 despite the game's biggest payroll.
The Mets spent a lot of money and didn't win anything either.
Nevertheless, money helps a lot specially if CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett are healthy. Add Texeira and that's one awesome lineup.
MLB needs a salary cap. Also, every effort should be made to keep home grown talent like Mark Texeira in their home teams, i.e. Rangers!
My guess is that there are a lot of players who agree with me. They just can't challenge the union in public.
"The acquisition gives the Yankees control of the four biggest contracts in Major League Baseball, joining Alex Rodriguez (10 years, $275 million), Derek Jeter (10 years, $189 million) and Sabathia (seven years, $161 million)."
Let me repeat. I don't want a scandal. I am praying that Barrack Obama is not tied up in some ugly Chicago scandal.
Let's face it. Scandals are bad for the country. Watergate paralyzed the Nixon administration. The Monica scandal distracted the Clinton administration.
Nevertheless, it surprises me that the Obama people would release their report hours before the country goes on Christmas mode.
On the surface, it looks like Obama is OK. Of course, this is not an independent conclusion. This is Obama's lawyer saying that Obama is OK.
"Releasing it in this fashion casts doubt on the conclusions of the report, Team Obama's competence, and his reputation as a transparent reformer.
Why do that instead of letting Obama spend a couple minutes with the press corps last week, charming them into friendly write-ups about the report?
(Yes, I know Fitzgerald's investigation required that he keep somewhat mum on details, but he could have been much more helpful to the press than he was.)"
I've been desperately trying to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on this. We don't need a crippled president when there are people trying to blow up a US city.
At the same time, why not just have a long and extended press conference? Why not just open it up for questions?
"Then again, Jerry Jones is the dumbest general manager in the history of football, and there he was, postgame on Saturday, proclaiming he has no plans, no matter what, to fire Wade. "
OK. It's time for Randy Galloway to cheer up. The Cowboys will beat Philadelphia. Don't fire Coach Phillips or nail Tony Romo before the guys have a chance to play the game.
Years ago, families actually sat around to watch the NASA missions. In our household, it was a lot of fun to gather around the TV and enjoy an Apollo rocket going into space.
They became the first humans to see the far or dark side of the Moon.
They took this amazing picture of the Earth. Who wasn't stunned to see this picture on the cover of the weekly magazines? It certainly put living in our good earth in a little different perspective.
Last, but not least, the crew read from Genesis to everyone back home.
It was indeed great. I recall listening to the Christmas Eve message in my parents' car radio. It took me a while to realize that I was hearing 3 men reading The Good Book from a spaceship circling the moon. It was one of those moment that I will never forget.
The Carpenters were one of the most successful music acts of our generation. It was Karen's voice and Richard's arrangements that made them so popular and successful.
They also recorded one of the most popular Christmas pop tunes ever. It's certainly a huge favorite among romantic Christmas tunes!
Once again, there are thousands of wives, mothers and children who will spend another Christmas away from their loved ones in the service.
We dedicate this one to all of the military mothers and wives. We also express our support and admiration for the great work done by US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rush is usually good for one killer quote and one great laugh every week. Rush has noticed that Obama and the Dems are desperately lowering expectations.
We cut our politicians a little slack on campaign promises. However, no one had ever promised to heal the planet before!
Here is Obama's nightmare: Millions actually think that he can heal the planet. Even Joe Biden is worried about the expectations! He thinks that the world is expecting a lot from the new president! (Politico)
Two weeks ago, I had a fun debate with an Obama supporter. He thinks, and I'm sure that he is 100% sincere, that Obama's personality will change Iran.
He really does! I hope that BO's personality can persuade our NATO allies to live up to their commitments in Afghanistan. We need lots of troops over there!
"Even as they depict a massive stimulus package as indispensable to turning the economy around, U.S. Democratic leaders are aggressively lowering expectations that the package will yield dramatic accomplishments quickly."
Reality is catching up with these people. It will be fun to watch!
Our friend, Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda, posted a marvelous interview with Frank Tipler, the distinguished mathematical physicist at Tulane University. This is what Professor Tipler said:
"As regards global warming, my view is essentially the same as yours: Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) is a scam, with no basis in science.
A few comments on my own particular view of global warming:
(1) I am particularly annoyed by the claims that the "the debate is over," because this was exactly the claim originally made against the Copernican theory of the Solar System.
Copernicus' opponents said the idea that the Earth was the third planet from the Sun was advanced by Aristrachus in 300 B.C. (true), and had been definitely refuted by 100 A.D.
The debate is over! Sorry, it wasn't: the Earth IS the third planet." (WARMING, OR HOT AIR?)
The earth has always had climate change. It gets warm and it gets cold.
Climate change did not happen because Gore lost Tennessee or Bush invaded Iraq.
Climate change won't be miraculously impacted because Obama was elected.
In the meantime, put on an extra sweater and don't forget your gloves:
Just ask anyone who plays center-field for the Yankees or QB for the Cowboys.
It took Bernie Williams a long time to convince the Yankee fans that he could play CF. Bernie was a great player. He was a critical part of the Yankee teams that won 4 rings in 5 seasons. I guess that's what happens when you play Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle's position.
Tony Romo has his own hurdles in Dallas. It's tough to play Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman's position. Staubach won 2 Super Bowls and Aikman won 3!
Remember Danny White? He was a great Cowboys' QB. Danny followed Staubach. He took the team to 3 consecutive NFC title games.
Unfortunately, he lost all 3 and the locals never gave him his due.
Incredibly, Danny White had great stats and passing records.
He couldn't beat Philadelphia, SF and Washington in those tough NFC title games of 1981, 1982 and 1983!
Don't these critics understand that Tony has not played 3 full seasons in the NFL? I'm not defending some of the crazy interceptions. However, let's remember that it takes time to turn someone into an NFL QB.
Incredibly, the Cowboys are back in the playoff hunt. They control their own destiny.
The Cowboys sent everybody home with a bad case of depression last Saturday night. However, Lady Luck put the Cowboys back in the game:
"As a result, the Cowboys know if they win next Sunday at Philadelphia, they will make their third straight trip to the playoffs" (DMN)
Somebody up there likes Tony Romo. He will get another chance to get in the good graces of the very demanding Cowboys' fans.
I hope that Tony's Mexican "abuela" lights a candle at the Guadalupe shrine. Tony will need all of the help that he can get next Sunday!
"Today is the first day of winter, and a cold front sweeping across North Texas caused temperatures to fall into the upper 20s and high teens by daybreak, with wind chills dipping into the single digits at some reporting stations.
At 8 a.m., the National Weather Service reported it was 18 degrees in Denton and Decatur; 19 degrees at McKinney, Sherman/Denison and Fort Worth Meacham Airport."
How cold is it? 19 degrees is pretty cold in Dallas!
Normally, I go outside to enjoy a cigar and the Sunday night NFL report on ESPN radio.
Tonight, I enjoyed the NFL report but I did it inside!
My uncle in Wisconsin said that it's freezing cold up there. He used a Cuban term that we can't repeat in a family blog. My uncle always has a nasty word for Castro whenever the temps go frigid!
Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees is 59 this week. (His twin brother Maurice died in 2003)
Along with Barry and the aforementioned Maurice, the three brothers formed The Bee Gees. They wrote and recorded some of the greatest songs of the pop era.
The Gibbs were born in England but grew up in Australia. By 1967, when Barry was 21 and the twins were only 18, The Bee Gees hit the US charts with "New York Mining Disaster". As they say, the brothers had a lot of international hits after that!
Robin's voice gave The Bee Gees a very special sound. He sang the lead vocals in several of The Bee Gees' big hits, such as "I started a joke".
It's hard to pick a favorite. This is one of my real favorites from the "Horizontal" album. This is "And the sun will shine":
I guess that The NY Times overlooked all of the history before March 2003, including all of their own front page articles in the late 1990s saying that Saddam had WMDs.
The NY Times forgot to tell its readers of their own article from September 2003:
"The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago."
It's all Bush's fault! I guess that it's only a matter of time before The NY Times blames Bush for the economic collapse of the newspaper.
Fact: It was the Bush administration that warned Congress over and over about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. You can read it for yourself (17 Times in 2008)
Fact # 2: I agree that the Bush administration should have screamed louder. Frankly, they didn't force Congress or regulators to look deeper and deeper.
Here is the truth: Bush gets some of the blame. However, in all fairness, no one saw this coming!
Today, Drake Bennett posted an opinion piece about all of the economists who didn't see this coming:
"THE DEEPENING ECONOMIC downturn has been hard on a lot of people, but it has been hard in a particular way for economists."
Greenspan didn't. His successor Barneake didn't! Incredibly, no one did! I don't remember reading anything about this pending crisis.
The incoming Obama administration has made very few changes to Bush's policy, either domestic or foreign policy.
Bush, and many of us, will have the last laugh. It won't be long before we read that The NY Times has gone out of business.
Of course, they will tell us on their last issue that it was Bush's fault!
P.S. Got about 30 minutes? Take a look at this video. Watch Peter Wallison tackles this crisis. You may be surprised to hear that he blames misguided government policy and both parties.
(This is a great picture. Pres. JFK and Caroline a few months before his assassination)
As I said on my last radio show, I don't really care about Caroline Kennedy getting the NY Senate seat.
It's NY and I live in Texas.
After all, she meets the constitutional requirements.
She is at least 30 years old. In fact, she is actually 51! She has lived in NY long enough to meet the residency rules. Constitution satisfied!
At least, she didn't "just move in" as Hillary Clinton did in 2000 or her uncle Robert Kennedy did in 1964. Also, can't Dems come up with someone who isn't a Kennedy or Jackson?
New York has huge problems. Taxes are high. Businesses are moving out. It won't be long before they tax breathing in NY City! It's going to be very difficult to govern a state where taxpayers want to get out in a NY minute!
Nevertheless, it's fascinating to watch how the media treats Republican and Democrat women. Kathleen Parker has a great post:
"It is a legitimate question: Why is the resume-thin Caroline Kennedy being treated seriously as a prospective appointee to the U.S. Senate when the comparatively more-qualified Gov. Sarah Palin received such a harsh review?"
"Sweet Caroline (yes, Neil Diamond wrote the song about her) has announced she really, really wants to be New York's next senator.
As she goes about learning the problems of the state, including those beyond New York City's Upper East Side, we hope she has a GPS with turn-by-turn instructions.
Up to now, Kennedy's interest in New York politics has been minimal.
As the Daily News has reported, she skipped about half the 38 contested elections held since she registered to vote in New York in 1988, including four Democratic primaries in mayoral elections won three times by Republicans.
She also missed voting in the race for the Senate seat she now seeks.
Seems she was doing something else in 1994, when Daniel Patrick Moynihan was running for re-election.
The New York Times described her qualifications thus:
"Ms. Kennedy has much going for her. As a public figure, she carries the glamour and poignancy of her family."
Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post gushes that our "tragic national princess," the "Cinderella Kennedy" is "finally rewarded" for "her years of quiet dignity."
First a pony, now a Senate seat.
Contrast such swooning over Caroline with the full-court press the media put on Sarah Palin.
The Alaska governor's experience, interest in her state and political involvement make Caroline look like a Chihuahua next to Palin's pit bull, with or without lipstick.
We doubt if Katie Couric will ask Camelot's heiress how much she spends on her wardrobe."
Yes, there is a double standard. At the end of the day, this is up to Gov. Patterson, Caroline Kennedy and the "over-taxed" people of New York.
However, Caroline should think about how her life will change once she gets in the partisan arena. She will have to explain to New Yorkers why their state is such a mess!
Frankly, I would love to see Caroline stay in the sidelines. She has done a great job raising her children, working with charities and keeping up her father's legacy.
Normally, The Wash Post and The Wall Street Journal see things differently. The WP has a liberal view and The WSJ has a conservative view.
To be fair, The WP has been a very responsible newspaper on the Iraq War. They were the ones who recently wrote an editorial saying that Obama was lucky to be wrong about Iraq.
This weekend, The WP and The WSJ ran very critical editorials on Bill Clinton's millions:
"What is the standard for the ethics official to apply?
Doesn't spurning a proffered donation from a foreign government risk creating its own diplomatic problems?
What happens when Secretary Clinton, visiting Country X to press for, say, a climate change agreement, is informed by the prime minister that he's just written her husband a $10 million check for that cause?
What about gifts from foreign governments seeking trade concessions or approval to purchase military equipment? " (Washington Post)
The WSJ has a long analysis about some of the sources of Clinton's millions:
"Bill Clinton's ties to Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury illustrate the kind of complicated relationships with foreign figures the former president is now disclosing to pave the way for Hillary Clinton to become secretary of state." (JOHN R. EMSHWILLER)
After reading The WSJ article, and reviewing the enclosed chart of who gave money to Clinton, we are left with one conclusion:
Bill Clinton has spent his post-presidency running around asking for money and getting very rich!
Again, it's not illegal for a former president to get rich by turning into a "commission salesman" for anyone who wants to do business in the US.
It's not illegal but it smells bad!
We provide ex-presidents with a generous pension, an office staff, security and a few other fringe benefits.
Why does Bill Clinton have to run around and ask for money? Because Bill Clinton is an egomaniac who can't walk away from the microphone. He can't accept the fact that his time has passed.
P.S. Clinton has a second problem. Charles Krauthammer wrote about this in Clawing for a Legacy:
"Reagan was consequential. Clinton was not.
Reagan changed history.
At home, he radically altered both the shape and perception of government.
Abroad, he changed the entire structure of the international system by bringing down the Soviet empire, giving birth to a unipolar world of unprecedented American dominance.
By comparison, Clinton was a historical parenthesis.
He can console himself -- with considerable justification -- that he simply drew the short straw in the chronological lottery:
His time just happened to be the 1990s, which, through no fault of his own, was the most inconsequential decade of the 20th century.
His was the interval between the collapse of the Soviet Union on Dec. 26, 1991, and the return of history with a vengeance on Sept. 11, 2001."
Normally, I am very traditional about Christmas music.
However, there are a couple of pop favorites, such as The Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick". The Beach Boys were the most successful US group of the "rock group era":
"Oooooooo Merry Christmas santa Christmas comes this time each year
Oooooooo oooooooo
Well, way up North where the air gets cold
There's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told
And a real famous cat all dressed up in red
And he spends the whole year workin' out on his sled.
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
Just a little bobsled, we call it ol' Saint Nick
But she'll walk a tobogan with a four speed stick
She's ol' candy apple red with a ski for a wheel
And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel.
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
run run reindeer run run reindeer ahhhhhhhhrun
run reindeer run run reindeer
we don't miss no one
He's hauling through the snow at a frightenin' speed,
With a half a dozen deer with a-Rudy to lead,
He's gotta wear his goggles 'cause the snow really flies
And he's cruisin' every pad with a little surprise.
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick
ahh Ooooooo
Merry Christmas santa
Christmas comes this time each year
ahh Ooooooo
Merry Christmas santa
christmas comes this time each year!"
My second selection is Bobby Helms, a 1950's rocker who recorded other hits like "My special angel". This is "Jingle Bell Rock":
"Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell,Jingle-bell rock,
Jingle-bells swing andJingle-bells ring.
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun,
Now the Jingle hop has begun.
Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell rock,
Jingle-bells chime in Jingle-bell time.
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square In the frosty air.
What a bright time; it's the right time
To rock the night away.
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh.
Giddy up Jingle horse; pick up your feet;
Jingle around the clock.
Mix and mingle in a jinglin' beat;
That's the Jingle-bell rock.
Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell rock,
Jingle-bells swing andJingle-bells ring.
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun,
Now the Jingle hop has begun.
Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell, Jingle-bell rock, Jingle-bells chime in Jingle-bell time.
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.
What a bright time; it's the right time
To rock the night away.
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh.
Giddy up Jingle horse; pick up your feet;
Jingle around the clock.
Mix and mingle in a jinglin' beat;
That's the Jingle-bell
That's the Jingle-bell
That's the Jingle-bell rock."
My third selection is "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus" by The Ronnettes, one of the best girl groups:
"I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me down the stairs to have a peek
She thought that I was tucked up in my Bedroom fast asleep
Then I saw mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
What a laugh it would have been
If daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me creep down the stairs to have peak
She thought that I was tucked up in my Bedroom fast asleep.
Then I saw mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
What a laugh it would have been
If daddy had only seenMommy kissing Santa Claus last night.
Like many fans, I listen to the Cowboys' post game show on local radio.
However, it was really hard to listen to it tonight.
It was really hard to listen to Coach Phillips' press conference. I get the feeling that Coach Phillips knows that he won't be back.
I guess that it's easier to blame the coach than the players.
The local sports radio shows will turn on Tony Romo. We will hear again that Romo "can't win the big one"! How can we say that about a guy who has not played 3 full seasons? Shouldn't we wait a bit longer?
Who knows what TO will tell the media?
Who knows how owner Jerry Jones will react to another December collapse?
"Dock Ellis, the former major league pitcher best remembered for his flamboyance and social activism as a member of the great Pittsburgh Pirates teams of the 1970s, died Friday of a liver ailment in California, his former agent, Tom Reich, confirmed.
He retired in 1979 with a record of 138-119, but was best known for several colorful incidents on and off the field.
His wife, Hjordis, told The Assocaited Press he died at the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles."
Dock Ellis was actually a pretty good pitcher, although everyone remembers him for being a bit outspoken on political issues.
Wonder how much he'd be making today? Ellis won 19 games with the 1971 Pirates that won the World Series. He also played with Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente on that team.
Like so many others, Ellis missed the big money that came with free agency in the late 1970's.
My biggest memory is watching Dock Ellis give up a mammoth home run to Reggie Jackson in the 1971 All Star game. This is the shot that hit the lights.
What do you do when one your favorite rockers turn 65?
I'm not sure but time does fly.
I gues that you can go out and buy a CD and replace your cassette which replaced your 8-track tape which replaced your LP which replaced your 45rpm single.
Perhaps, Keith will reflect on that great line from their song "Mother's little helper":
"What a drag it is getting old...."
Along with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards was the backbone of The Rolling Stones, the most successful rock group after The Beatles:
"The Rolling Stones have released 22 studio albums in the UK (24 in the US), eight concert albums (nine in the US) and numerous compilations; and have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.
Sticky Fingers (1971) began a string of eight consecutive studio albums that charted at number one in the United States.
In 1989 The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they were ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Their image of unkempt and surly youth is one that many musicians still emulate." (Wikipedia)
The Stones' roster has actually been very stable band for a rock group that recorded its first song in the UK during the JFK administration.
Richards and Jagger are still playing with drummer Charlie Watts.
Not long ago, bass player Bill Wyman retired.
Ron Wood replaced Brian Jones, who drowned in 1969.
The Stones' sound was always a combination of Jagger's vocals and Richards' guitar rifts.
It's hard to pick a favorite guitar rift. There are so many, from "Satisfaction", their first big hit in the US, to "Start me up" a song that you hear in sports arenas all over the country.
Happy birthday Keith Richards. I hope that you have a nice day.
What song can I pick? Let me try "19th nervous breakdown", one of Keith's best guitar rifts ever:
"Youre the kind of person
You meet at certain dismal dull affairs.
Center of a crowd, talking much too loud
Running up and down the stairs.
Well, it seems to me that you have seen too much in too few years.
And though youve tried you just cant hide
Your eyes are edged with tears.
You better stop
Look around
Here it comes, here it comes,
here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your nine-teenth nervous breakdown.
When you were a child
You were treated kind
But you were never brought up right.
You were always spoiled with a thousand toys
But still you cried all night.
Your mother who neglected you
Owes a million dollars tax.
And your fathers still perfecting ways of making ceiling wax.
You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes,
here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your nilne-teenth nervous breakdown.
Oh, whos to blame, that girl's just insane.
Well nothing I do dont seem to work,
It only seems to make matters worse.
oh please.
You were still in school
When you had that fool
Who really messed your mind.
And after that you turned your back
On treating people kind.
On our first trip
I tried so hard to rearrange your mind.
But after while I realized you were disarranging mine.
"A bevy of construction projects and transportation upgrades are on the horizon — including what’s thought to be the largest collection of transit-oriented developments in the nation.
Many of those projects are the result of a 1996 election. Irving residents chose to continue putting tax dollars into Dallas Area Rapid Transit rather than toward Texas Stadium renovations that arguably could have kept the team in Irving.
DART plans to bring a light-rail line through Irving that will connect Dallas to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The Orange Line will have several stops along the way. Among them are planned stations at the stadium site, the University of Dallas, North Lake College and three spots in Las Colinas’s urban center.
An outlet mall is planned for land just north of where the stadium now sits.
And surrounding the planned Las Colinas stops, officials and developers want to replicate the success of Dallas projects such as Mockingbird Station and West Village — but on a much larger scale.
They’re planning several projects that will create pedestrian-friendly urban neighborhoods made up of residences, offices, retail outlets and entertainment venues.
The city is also building a convention center and working with a developer to build an adjacent entertainment complex in Las Colinas within walking distance to a rail station."
In other words, it won't an empty space for long.
Like most Texas cities, Irving is growing.
I expect that someone will invest and make something worthwhile of the stadium location.
They certainly added a certain beauty to the game. The Cowboys' cheerleaders became a part the team's image, too.
I saw most of these memories on TV and they were fun.
The first one is Emmitt Smith breaking the NFL rushing record. Smith, along with Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, were the backbone of the teams that won Super Bowls in 1993, 1994 and 1996:
You can not say Cowboys without thinking of Roger Staubach. In 1979, Roger pulled off another last minute comeback to beat Washington:
You can not think of Texas Stadium memories without Troy Aikman:
Finally, you always have to think of Tom Landry, one of the greatest NFL coaches ever. He was also an amazing human being. Landry died in 2000:
Let me say it again. I don't support an auto industry bailout.
Nevertheless, it was important to move this issue forward so that the new administration can deal with it.
This is what happened today:
"President Bush tossed General Motors and Chrysler a temporary lifeline from the taxpayers on Friday, announcing $13.4 billion in emergency loans to prevent the collapse of the companies, with another $4 billion to become available in February.
The loans, conditioned on G.M. and Chrysler undertaking sweeping reorganizations plans to show that they can return to profitability, are meant to keep the companies afloat until March 31.
At that point, the Obama administration will determine if the automakers are meeting the conditions of the loans and thus will continue to receive government aid or must repay the loans and face bankruptcy.
“These are not ordinary circumstances,” Mr. Bush said in televised remarks that quickly touched off a debate over the fairness of his plan.
“In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action.” (NYT)
Again, we see Pres. Bush making a difficult decision. In fact, Bush's presidency has been one long list of incredibly difficult decisions.
The US auto industry has been going downhill for years. It can not compete with foreign companies making cars in the US in "right to work" states like Texas, Kentucky, Alabama and so on.
Today, Pres. Bush moved the ball forward and put it on Obama's court. He has responsibly bought the new Obama administration a little time to organize itself on this issue.
This week, former Pres. Clinton released the "donor list". It is an unbelievably long list and a huge problem for Hillary Clinton.
Dick Morris has a few thoughts:
"Particularly troubling are the massive donations from Arab governments in the Middle East.
Pardon us for looking such generous gift horses in the mouth, but it is hard to imagine so many governments, monarchs and businessmen in the Middle East giving money unless it was with some hope of a political return.
Will that return now come with the appointment of Sen. Clinton as secretary of state?
How can Hillary Rodham Clinton mediate and negotiate conflicts in the Middle East impartially when her husband's library and foundation - over which he has total control - have been bankrolled by the very nations with whom she must negotiate?" (500M PROBLEMS FOR MADAME SECRETARY )
That's right. How can this woman seriously negotiate with countries who have given millions to her husband?
What in the world was Barrack Obama thinking when he nominated this woman for Sec of State?
Also, I think that we know now why Bill and Hillary Clinton did not want to release this list of donors during the presidential campaign.
Gov. Blago came out swinging today. He does not look like a man who wants to resign. At the same time, he is not the first politician to come out swinging and then resign later.
His statement to the press was fun to watch, or listen to it on the radio as I did:
""I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job, and I will fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath," Blagojevich said.
"I have done nothing wrong."He cast himself as a victim in the case, and said he will not let a "political lynch mob" force him from office." (Ch2)
He sounds persuasive.
Besides, what do I know? I'm just a Republican watching this show from Texas.
Nevertheless, where is the adult in this crisis? Who will stand up in the Illinois legislature and impeach the governor?
Resign? Why resign? Impeach him if he did something wrong!
Why won't the Dem majority stand up and impeach Gov Blago? My guess is that Gov Blago knows a thing or two about the people who will put him on the hot chair.
Moral of the story? Illinois is a corrupt state and Gov Blago is not the only corrupt politician.
Heck! Didn't Obama campaign for this guy in 2002 and 2006? Most of these Chicago Dems knew that Blago was corrupt to the bone. Yet, they still campaigned for his reelection, including a fellow named Obama!
P.S. By the way, Bill O'Reilly had a good point the other night. He said that Blago reminds him of Gerry from the old British group Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Here is the video. O'Reilly has a point! It must be the hair!
We learned today that Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, founder of the Free Congress Foundation and other organizations, passed away.
We are very sorry to hear that. Our sympathies to his family.
Weyrich was an important voice back in the late 1970s. He was a critical player in the Republican comeback of 1980.
"In the campaign, Mr. Obama said he would not hesitate to overrule his commanders.
By early December, however, he signaled some flexibility when he said that he still wanted combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months but that he would also listen to the recommendations of his generals.
Mr. Gates has expressed confidence that he and Mr. Obama might reach common ground.
But in discussing the new plan, senior military officials nonetheless made clear that they were not comfortable with the time frame Mr. Obama articulated in the campaign.
“Sixteen months is going to be tough,” said one senior military officer who was briefed on the plan.
“We are not quite there yet.”"
Today we learned about Rick Warren and the homosexuals are not thrilled.
"Barack Obama’s choice of a prominent evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration is a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed him in November, but it is drawing fierce challenges from a gay rights movement that – in the wake of a gay marriage ban in California – is looking for a fight."
Today, we hear that Ron Kirk, a very strong supporter of NAFTA and free trade in general, will be joining Obama's team:
"If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Kirk would probably spend much of his time overseas hammering out trade deals and persuading foreign leaders to drop trade barriers, curb movie piracy, and open new markets for U.S. goods.
Leaders of organized labor, a key ally in Mr. Obama's victory last month, are anxious about the trade appointment.
Some aren't sure what to make of Mr. Kirk.
"The jury's out," said Becky Moeller, president of the Texas AFL-CIO."
Don't get me wrong. I like Obama's direction, specially Ron Kirk from Dallas who is an excellent choice.
My question is still this: Why didn't Obama tell us this during the campaign?
I think that we know the answer to that question!
I do feel very sorry for all of the "yes we can" screamers! They were certainly sold a lot of "hope and change"! In plain talk, BO was a cynical opportunist who just told a lot of people what they wanted to hear!
"On a web-based interview show last week, Cooley said he reported to federal authorities nearly two decades ago that Rod Blagojevich had been operating an illegal sports gambling business.
Robert Cooley is a former Chicago police officer-turned mob lawyer-turned federal informant.
During Operation Gambat in the late 1980's and early 1990's, Cooley's undercover work and testimony put away 24 crooked politicians, judges, lawyers and cops.
Several years ago, when Mr. Blagojevich was running for re-election, Cooley provided the same information to the ABC7 I-Team.
Because Cooley did not want to be identified at the time and the governor denied it, ABC7 did not report the story.
On Tuesday, Cooley spoke on the record.
He told ABC7 that Mr. Blagojevich regularly paid a so-called street tax to Robert "Bobby the Boxer" Abbinanti, a convicted outfit gambling collector.
In the early 1980's, Abbinanti was working for convicted West Side mob boss Marco D'amico.
Bookies pay street taxes to the crime syndicate in exchange for being allowed to operate such a racket.
"I predicted five years ago when he ran the first time that he was a hands on person who would be selling every position in the state of Illinois and that it exactly what happened," said Cooley.
Cooley, who secretly recorded conversations in a Counselor's Row restaurant near City Hall which brought down the first ward leadership, contends Illinois corruption is unstoppable.
"The biggest problem you have now and reason for what is happening is that the people in power have money and ability to silence the media so it will never be reported and as long as you have that going on, you will never stop it," Cooley.
A spokesman for Governor Blagojevich said on Tuesday evening that he cannot comment on Cooley, the bookmaking allegation or the mob payoffs. He referred us to the governor's criminal defense lawyer Ed Genson.
Mr. Genson says he is too busy right now to talk.
A spokesman for the United States attorney in Chicago said that his office will have no comment."
This is what amazes me.
How did it take so long for Obama to call for Blago's resignation?
"As a state senator in 2002, Obama supported Blagojevich in his first gubernatorial election.
Despite reports from the governor's own inspector general that Blagojevich was as crooked as barbed wire in a windstorm, Obama endorsed him again in 2006 as a U.S. senator.
In his quick ascent of the Illinois political ladder, Obama couldn't afford to challenge the rules or the rulemakers.
But he's not a state lawmaker or a junior senator anymore.
He's the president-elect.
And if he can't muster the courage to call out a petty thug like Blagojevich, how will he fare against the Ahmadinejads and Kims of the world?
This isn't the politics of change.
As Blagojevich might say, it's the same old [expletive].
Shocked, indeed."
Once again, we see Obama as someone who goes along regardless of who is going along with.
He did not have the courage to slap Rev. Wright after the outrageous 9-11 sermon.
Will Obama stand up for anything? I don't see anything in his background that confirms that he does!
P.S. Will he stand up to the Iranians? Let's hope so but Israel is not very impressed. (U.S.-Israel collision course By Dick Morris)
As we go from the campaign (i.e. "telling people what they want to hear") to governing (i.e. keeping the country safe from another attack"), BO is finding out that things are a little complicated in the real world:
"Barack Obama won the White House with a firm promise to put an end to what critics called the Bush Administration's use of torture on terror suspects.
But as the President-elect prepares to take office, his team is quickly learning that even on such a seemingly black-and-white issue, effecting change in Washington is never as simple as it sounds on the campaign trail. " (TIME)
The first issue is political reality.
We have not been attacked since 9-11.
Love him or hate him, Pres. Bush has kept us safe by taking the war to the terrorists and employing tough tactics against enemy combatants.
Why does that matter?
Because you can not defeat terrorists unless you listen to their conversations, invade their privacy, infiltrate their cells, squeeze them for information and attack their financial sources.
The second issue is national security. What are you going to do with these 250 people in GITMO? What court are they going to go to? What kinds of evidence rules will be used? Are you going to bring these people into civilian courts and treat them like bank robbers?
"It's true that Mr. Obama repeated his pledge to close Guantanamo during his recent "60 Minutes" interview.
But he also declined to set a date.
No doubt he is now realizing a hard truth. While senators can say what they please and go to sleep untroubled, presidents cannot escape the consequences of their decisions."
It will be interesting to watch all of this.
As Professor VD Hanson wrote today, don't expect a lot of changes, specially now that Pres BO will be accountable for the next terrorist attack:
"As Inauguration Day approaches and campaign rhetoric ends and governance begins, words begin to have consequences. The truth is there are not many alternatives to the present general strategy against Islamic terrorism."
BO is going to break a lot of liberal and Euro hearts. He will do that when they find out that "hope and change" is really nothing more than Bush's 3rd term!
Reality is indeed hard, specially if you spent the whole year screaming "yes we can"!
It's hard to believe but George Harrison died 7 years ago this month. George died of cancer. He had been ill for a couple of years.
George met Paul and John when they were teenagers. Later on, he was known as the "quiet" Beatle. George was always in the background because of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting machine.
George did contribute "Something", "While my guitar gently weeps", "Here comes the sun" and "Taxman" to the group's albums.
However, his biggest contribution to the group was playing a marvelous lead guitar on the group's hits. Check out "Day Tripper":
After the Beatles, George recorded a few solo albums. He had limited success but did record a few hits like "My sweet Lord". He wrote about John's death in "All those years ago" and about the group in "When we was fab".
This is "Behind the blocked door", a great song from George's first solo album"
"Why are you still crying? Your pain is now through
Please forget those teardrops Let me take them from you
So far, Pres elect BO has thankfully stayed out of the Illinois scandal. I say "so far" because no one really knows. I also say "thankfully" because the country does not a Chicago style scandal on the eve of Obama's inauguration.
Again, I didn't vote for Obama. At the same time, I don't wish any scandals on him!
Here is the big question: What does Blago know and how will he use it?
What does Gov Blago know? A lot! He grew up in that corrupt pool called Chicago politics.
Who is Blago willing to bring down with him? My guess is anybody that he can. Perhaps, this is why the Illinois Dems are carefully navigating through this scandal. (Illinois Democrats Let Blagojevich Keep Naming Power)
Blago is probably going to jail. I'm sure that wants to bring a few friends to watch the Cubs with!
"ON Sunday, President Bush ducked two shoes hurled toward him in Baghdad. But he never ducked his responsibilities in Iraq.
A great deal of justified criticism can be leveled at the Bush administration, but to his great - and enduring - credit, our president didn't quit as mistakes made by his subordinates mounted and the prognosis in Iraq turned dire.
And the "shoe incident" shows how the results vindicated his stubbornness.
When an Arab heel aimed those shoes at our president, it showed the world the extent to which Bush loosened the laces of Middle Eastern tyranny.
If an Arab journalist had thrown his shoes at Saddam Hussein or one of his guests, the tosser would've been beaten, then tortured, then killed. Today's Iraqi government is considering whether the man should be charged under the state's democratically validated Constitution."
Life goes on. Iraq is better off today than it was 8 years ago. The Middle East is not blowing up despite all of that "wishful thinking" from the international media.
Yes, a few hundred people did the usual burning of US flags and "we hate Bush" marches.
In the end, they were not joined by most Iraqis. Why? Because most Iraqis are actually in a pretty good mood, specially now that their heads are not cut off when they disagree with Saddam.
Someone threw a shoe at Bush.
He missed!
Now, the international left will have to live with the reality that "hope and change" was just a lot of campaign talk. I guess that it won't be long before they start saying that Obama is a lot like Bush!
P.S. For more on "the shoe", check out these two great posts:
It's Tuesday morning and we are getting one of our winter ice storms. Actually, this one is not so bad. Nevertheless, it creates panic down here:
"Freezing temperatures and light rain overnight left a thin layer of ice on many roadways and highway ramps this morning causing accidents, road closures and slow commutes throughout Dallas-Fort Worth" (Dallas Morning News)
"Corker’s amendment demanded concessions from the UAW as tangible evidence that the industry was willing to make fundamental structural reforms before risking taxpayer money on loans to failing businesses.
But the UAW refused to accept pay parity with non-union foreign automakers by the end of 2009.
That pay scale — among the best hourly wages in America at $26-an-hour plus benefits, totaling $48-an-hour — was not good enough for the coddled union, who demanded that their current $73-an-hour contract package be paid until it expires in 2011."
The UAW has been living in a fantasy land for years. It's time for the UAW to grow up and face reality. Every UAW member should read Larry Kudlow's Who’s Losing the U.S. Car Business?
We have posted realistic assesssments of the US economy.
Why? Why not? Where else would you rather live or look for a job?
James P. Moore Jr. is a professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and the director of the school's Global Leadership Initiative. He challenged the "doom and gloom" crowd with a good article entitled 5 Myths About Our Sputtering Economy:
"1. The United States has lost its competitive edge:
Not by a long shot. By almost any measure, the United States continues to outperform other countries around the globe (including rising giants China and India) in such areas as innovation, technology, higher education, worker training, the ability of the labor force to move from job to job, and more.
Just this fall, the Swiss-based World Economic Forum released its latest global competitiveness report, and once again, the United States easily topped the list.
The study noted that despite the current financial turmoil, the United States is blessed with strong productivity and can "ride out business-cycle shifts and economic shocks" better than other countries."
What about all of those fears that China will pass the US:
"Not for some time to come.
The World Bank estimates that global GDP last year was more than $56 trillion dollars.
The United States contributed almost $14 trillion (or 25 percent) of that amount. China's total economy amounted to a bit more than $3 trillion.
Of course, China and other countries such as India and Brazil are growing far faster than the United States, but then again, we were wealthier to begin with.
Let's be realistic.
The turmoil in the financial markets will reduce U.S. GDP in 2008 and 2009, but China's economy will contract too.
No matter how you calculate growth projections, realistically, it will be decades before China is within striking distance of the United States.
And as for those other budding economies now coming on line, don't expect them to outstrip us any time soon, either.
Despite its strong growth rates, Brazil has an economy that's approximately the size of Florida's and Illinois's combined. Russia, which spans 11 time zones and has vast natural resources, had an economy that was on a par with that of Texas last year.
Even India, a bright spot on the global stage for almost a decade now, still has a GDP that's less than half of California's.
These countries will be formidable indeed at some point, but they still have a long way to go."
Read the article and stop buying all of this nonsense about the decline of the US.
