Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 12-0, 1
2. Oklahoma 11-1, 2
3. Texas 11-1, 3
4. Florida 11-1, 4
5. Southern Cal 10-1, 5
6. Utah 12-0, 6
7. Texas Tech 11-1, 7
8. Penn State 11-1, 8
9. Boise State 12-0, 9
10. Ohio State 10-2, 13
11. Oklahoma State 9-3, 10
12. Ball State 12-0, 14
13. Texas Christian 10-2, 15
14. Cincinnati 10-2, 16
15. Georgia Tech 9-3, 17
16. Georgia 9-3, 12
17. Boston College 9-3, 18
18. Brigham Young 10-2, 20
19. Missouri 9-3, 11
20. Virginia Tech 8-4, 21
21. Mississippi 8-4, 23
22. Oregon 9-3, NR
23. Pittsburgh 8-3, NR
24. Nebraska 8-4, 24
25. Florida State 8-4 19

OUT: Northwestern and Oregon State.
VOTES: Northwestern, Oregon State, LSU, West Virginia, Michigan State, Iowa, Western Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, California and Kansas.

At Neyland Staduim last night, Tennessee defeated Kentucky in "The All Cheerleader Bowl" while a grand celebration took place honoring Coach Phil Fulmer's last game as the Volunteers coach. Of course, it was the Tennessee brass that ousted Fulmer in the first place, so it seemed less than heartfelt. They did this to Johnny Majors to usher in Fulmer, and now it appears Lane Kiffin is the new Vol coach fresh from being fired by the Oakland Raiders. Kiffin may be great but it is indeed a gamble, as was the last Raiders castoff diving into a top program as Nebraska found out with Bill Callahan. Things are rough all around at Rocky Top these days, as evidenced by the following story via The Wiz of Odds and GoVolsXtra.

Sylvester Croom is out at Mississippi State, fresh of a 0-45 pounding at the hands of rival Ole Miss. Perhaps this move needed to take place, but certainly Croom deserves credit for running his program the right way, and his devotion to his players was admirably noticeable. Could this be the place Terry Bowden re-emerges?.....Bill Snyder has returned to the helm at Kansas State, and although Snyder is a great coach who turned the Mildcats into the Wildcats, it will be real interesting so see if he can do it again.
FSU WIDEOUT BERT REED SLIPS TO THE TURF/PHOTO TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Obviously, the Florida Gators are a championship calibur team and it appeared equally as obvious they had too much for Florida State to contend with. But, FSU continued to display a lack of ability to execute offensively and adjust to gaps defensively. Worse yet, wide open receivers were dropping the ball while Florida receivers were wide open. This can only lead to a whippin, and that is what us in the Garnet and Gold got. Everyone is quick to suggest the game has passed Bowden by, but he is not coordinating the offense or defense. Both Ponder and Richardson tossed interceptions to the same position defender on the same play that they did back against Wake Forest in week 3, another loss. I would have hoped we could at a minimum correct these particular plays, but apparently not. There has been improvement scoring in the red zone over the season, but unfortunately we have also improved in jumping offsides at critical times, and it will and can get you beat. I don't know if ole Mickey Andrews or the Seminole defenders ever even saw the Gator tight end, who walked open for two touchdowns. Plenty visible through the rain drops from section 29. Not to impressive.

Kansas, behind a great effort by signal caller Todd Reesing, upended Missouri in Columbia. Tiger Coach Gary Pinkel just signed a contract extension, but I do not know who underachieved more this year, Missouri or Georgia, who took it on the chin in Athens as the Ramblin Wreck unleashed a rushing arsenal rarely seen of late....Speaking of underachieving, we cannot leave out Auburn, who got shoutout 36-0 in the Iron Bowl by powerful Alabama and LSU, who dropped one to a weak Arkansas team....Gator fans were chanting SEC, SEC in the stands versus FSU but they should just focus on their fine team because the ACC went 3-1 against the SEC over the weekend, with Clemson, Wake Forest and Ga. Tech winning while FSU lost....Oklahoma continued to put up 60 points per game against quality opponents, this week smashing a very sound Oklahoma State team in Stillwater....Boise State hung 61 on Fresno State, flexing some muscle....Could there be an opening in South Bend? The Irish got manhandled by Southern Cal barely posting a handful of first downs. It was quite a spectacle....Oregon scored at will and ruined Oregon State's dream of playing in the Rose Bowl, who no doubt were thrilled....All eyes will be on Florida vs. Alabama next week. I would be surprised if the Gators don't win easily. Alabama has met Florida every single time the Tide has played in the SEC title game....Baylor scared Texas Tech behind frosh signal caller Robert Griffith III. Baylor may be a problem for some teams in 2009, so take any points you can get with the Bears behind Griffith....Very early to look at 2009 but if Tebow stays, it will be Florida at preseason number 1....Congratulations to Turner Gill, who has done the unthinkable and put Buffalo in the MAC title game and a bowl game. Gill could claim coach of the year honors, but one would have to strongly consider Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech.

The spread offense is really intriguing. Scores of games are way up as defenses are having a great deal of trouble stopping these offenses. If you don't dominate the line of scrimmage with your defensive line or have a lock down corner or two on defense, you better have a standout offense, cause you cannot win otherwise. The dropback Dan Marino quarterbacks are gone, replaced by hybrid signal callers with equal running and passing skills, like Tim Tebow, for example. The Big XII is full of them, and it seems to be the fad at least for now. The defensive mind who figures out how to stop this will write his own ticket.

Henerey Hit It!

'HUSKER KICKER ALEX HENERY HITS 57 YARD FG TO OVERTAKE COLORADO/AP PHOTO

Nebraska's Alex Henery hit a school record 57 yard field goal on 4th & 25 to grab a late lead the 'Huskers never surrendered from a very inspired Colorado team. This was a big win for the Cornhuskers as they take a big step toward restoring the order by finishing the regular season with an 8-4 record. GBR!

The End of Prosperity?

I had a chance to visit with Wall Street Journal Editorial Board member and senior economics writer Stephen Moore at a local forum on Friday.

Moore, a frequent guest on CNBC's Kudlow & Company and The Glenn Beck Program, is the author, along with Dr. Arthur Laffer and Peter J. Tanous, of the new book The End of Prosperity: How Higher Taxes Will Doom The Economy If We Let It Happen.

Moore left no stone unturned in his economic commentary, complete with charts and graphs, detailing how a high tax and anti-growth environment will lead this country to unnecessary economic hardship. Unfortunately, this is the rhetoric put forth by President-elect Barack Obama. We can all only hope that the incoming administration, given the turmoil our economy is in, will at a minimum pause on some of the tax policies they campaigned on.

The conference was over before news of the selection of New York Federal Reserve President Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary became public. Geithner is a free trade guy, with international experience who has been working closely with the FED in the recent rescue efforts that have taken place during the current economic cirsis. At the end of the day I think this is a good decision by The Obama transition team, one that could provide stability and perhaps curtail much of the uncertainty gripping the markets.

In his comments in Orlando, Moore indicated that he thought the Treasury Secretary would be the most important figure going forward for the next two years or so. Moore was back from the forum in time to join Larry Kudlow on CNBC Reports Kudlow & Company for a round table with Jared Bernstein, Robert Reich and Jimmy Pethokoukis on the markets, the potential implosion of Citigroup and the nomination of Geithner.

Rolle's Rhode Traveled A Great Success

Florida State University junior strong safety Myron Rolle on Saturday became one of 32 students across the country to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, perhaps the most prestigious award a student can achieve. Rolle, who missed most of the first half of the game at Maryland due to the interviewing process held in Birmingham, Alabama, arrived at Byrd Stadium and after hugs from his parents, received a standing ovation from the FSU faithful when he emerged late in the second quarter. An official congratulates Rolle during the game at Maryland Saturday.(AP Photo)
"I feel very fortunate to have been selected as a Rhodes Scholar," Rolle said. "I've learned so much just by going through the process of application and interviews, and I am a better person for it. The interview process requires candidates to evaluate their long-term goals and plans, and it has made me think about how I can make the most impact in terms of service to society. The whole experience has been inspiring, and I appreciate the assistance of so many faculty and staff at Florida State as well as the encouragement and support of my football coaches."

"Florida State University's most treasured values of strength, skill and character live in Myron Rolle," said FSU President T.K. Wetherell. "He is a remarkable young man and a tremendous example for all of our students. The entire Florida State community joins me in congratulating him on this wonderful accomplishment."

Basketballers Tom McMillen of Maryland and Senator Bill Bradley of Princeton join quarterback Pat Haden of USC, Heisman Trophy winner and General Pete Dawkins of Army and Byron "Whizzer" White of Colorado as notable atheltic winners. Other winners include US Supreme Court justice David Souter, Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana and former President Bill Clinton.

Rolle is the fourth Florida State student to receive this honor. Everyone associated with Florida State University is very proud of Myron and celebrate this honor with him and his family. Congratulations Myron, job well done!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 11-0, 1
2. Oklahoma 10-1, 4
3. Texas 10-1, 3
4. Florida 10-1, 5
5. Southern Cal 9-1, 6
6. Utah 12-0, 7
7. Texas Tech 10-1, 2
8. Penn State 11-1, 8
9. Boise State 11-0, 9
10. Oklahoma State 9-2, 10
11. Missouri 9-2, 11
12. Georgia 9-2, 12
13. Ohio State 10-2, 13
14. Ball State 11-0, 14
15. Texas Christian 10-2, 15
16. Cincinnati 9-2, 19
17. Georgia Tech 8-3, 24
18. Boston College 8-3, 25
19. Florida State 8-3, NR
20. Brigham Young 10-2, 16
21. Virginia Tech 7-4, NR
22. Oregon State 8-3, NR
23. Mississippi 7-4, NR
24. Nebraska 7-4, NR
25. Northwestern 9-3, NR

OUT: Pittsburgh, Miami, Michigan State, No. Carolina, Louisiana State and Maryland
VOTES: Western Michigan, Michigan State, No. Carolina, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Miami, California, Oregon, Louisiana State, Iowa and West Virginia.

Previously unbeaten Texas Tech ran into a buzzsaw at Norman, Oklahoma as the OU Sooners took the Red Raiders to the woodshed. The level of domination by OU indicates they are the class of the Big XII South, even though they did fall to Texas in the Red River Shootout. Should the Sooners get by Okie State this Saturday, the BCS will determine whether Texas or OU face Missouri (provided the 'Horns beat the hapless Aggies of A&M). Texas Tech ain't going after giving up 65, and it could have been much worse. It looks like OU may play the Florida-Alabama winner for the championship, and that should be be fun.

I have to conclude that up in South Bend there is some real head scratching going on. Unless something happens real soon, and I see no visible evidence, the Charlie Weis era is going to end as a complete failure. Notre Dame was supposed to be decent this season, but after a humiliating home loss to a we posted the flag at rock bottom Syracuse team, a potential Gator Bowl trip now looks like bowl watching on HD from the couch. The Florida Times Union and the Florida Today has already made mention of it, but could feelers to Urban Meyer be emerging soon?

Louisiana State has fallen off considerably since their title a year ago, and much of the problem is at quarterback. The Tigers were clocked at home by upstart Ole Miss, where the strong hiring of Houston Nutt could well settle the Rebels in a good spot for a couple of decades....What is up is down and down is up in a very entertaining ACC Conference in 2008. An emerging North Carolina, who has looked very strong on occasion this season, got clobbered at home by N. C. State, and I am not sure anyone saw that coming while Florida State smothered Maryland at College Park. The Terps have beaten five ranked teams in a row but have gone 500 against unranked teams. This week, FSU was not ranked....Utah dusted BYU and laid claim to a spot in the BCS, which I think they deserve.....Things went far from well at Michigan this year, and one has to wonder if RichRod is the right guy.....Ohio State and Penn State are head and shoulders above the other Big 10 teams......Georgia Tech ran roughshod over Miami, resembling Nebraska over Duke in'75 as The Wizard proclaimed (Nebraska is 0-1 versus Duke, having got spanked 34-7 in 1954 Orange Bowl). The 'Canes got blown over and it was not pretty......Speaking of Duke, David Cutcliffe has done a great job over there as the Blue Devils are very much improved.....Wisconsin barely, and I mean barely, got by Cal-Poly (who?), 36-35 in 2OT, avoiding untold embarrassment, the likes not seen since Montana State took out Colorado....Nobody wants any part of Florida about now, but unfortunately, they come to Tallahassee this weekend.

BAHL's Babes: Rena Sofer

This stunning actress is one of those actors where you may not know them by name, but you have seen them many times in various projects. Rena Sofer is one of those individuals.

She first became known for her work on ABC's Loving and later on ABC's General Hospital. She is a Daytime Emmy Award winner, capturing that honor in 1995.

Sofer has since starred in many programs, including Seinfeld, Blind Justice, The Chronicle, Melrose Place and Heroes.

She has been in many movies, but may be best known for her work with Ben Stiller in Keeping The Faith.












Rena Sofer was spotlighted at this particular time because you may have an opportunity to catch her over the Thanksgiving Holiday on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money and perhaps on Fox's 24 as she portrays Marilyn Bauer, (pictured above right).

NASCAR 2009 Recap

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson for recording his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship in his Rick Hendrick owned Lowes Chevrolet Impala SS. This is a very impressive feat, for sure.

It was not such a good year for my favorite driver, 2000 Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, pilot of King Richard Petty's famed #43 Cherrios Dodge Charger. Labonte scored only 1 top ten finish in '08, which is performance they cannot be proud of. Petty Enterprises is underfunded when compared with the mega NASCAR teams from Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske. Even so, I had hoped to see some improvement in 2008, but it never materialized. For 2009, Petty has lost Cheerios as it's sponsor and as of now there has been no news of potential new sponsors, and given the current economic climate, the prognosis for one is not good.

In fact, the current economic conditions cast doubt about what the automobile industry, let alone NASCAR, may look like in 2009. At this time (see previous blog entry), the Big 3 automakers are fighting for survival begging for cash assistance on Capitol Hill. One or more of the Big 3 may not survive, and from a NASCAR perspective, this would not be good.

Currently, Dodge, Toyota (TM:NYSE), Ford (F:NYSE) and Chevrolet (division of GM:NYSE) are the manufacturers competing on the circuit. I cannot contemplate NASCAR without Ford and Chevy competing out there on the high banks. Can you? In addition, suppliers to the Big 3 and NASCAR, like Goodyear (GT:NYSE), could be severely impacted to the negative.

NASCAR is doing what it can to lobby for assistance for the Big 3 by seeking public commentary from owners and drivers alike. NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., commented
“All I ever raced is Chevrolet. They’ve been with me throughout my entire career and have supported everything I have done. Now I want to do everything I can to support them. I have awesome fans and I hope they will reach out to our leaders in Washington to help Chevy and our other domestic car makers. There is nothing more American than Chevrolet and we need to make sure it stays that way.” Contrary to public opinion, many of the drivers are politically astute and have a handle on current events taking place in America. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson were recently guests on CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer.

Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick, all Chevrolet drivers, have all issued public commentary on the subject, and many of the drivers and owners own car dealerships.

As the economic conditions in the country began to deteriorate, one could easily notice empty seats at tracks all along the circuit and television ratings were down significantly as well. International Speedway Corp., (ISCA:NASDAQ), owners of NASCAR, have seen their stock price cut in half over the last year, although they are in good company on the street. Thankfully, for once, I got out before the drop when I noticed the empty seats.

With the economic storm we are facing, there could be big changes in the NASCAR world by the time Speedweeks comes calling in February. I hear a meeting of NASCAR movers and shakers took place in Charlotte this week to discuss what may be on the horizon and how to deal with the changes. I am a stock market investor and I am astonished at the carnage we all are witnessing on Wall Street. This damage is one for the ages, and the unfortunate negative impact on things we all love, like NASCAR, may be lasting. Then again, I have no idea what I am having for lunch tomorrow, so things could turn around by next week.

Conditional Bailout Presents Rare Chance

The economic events of the last several quarters have been exhausting and have inflicted immense pain on many Americans, yours truly included. Obviously, although I am sure well intended, much of the governmental action, particularly in the form of orchestrating bailouts, has not been successful as Wall Street remains in freefall. Today's action suggest a very serious test of the recent lows and a break of those lows with any sort of conviction could send the DOW into the 6000's. Not pretty.

The issues facing the treasury and The FED are massive, and I recognize the simplicity of arm chair quarterbacking without keen insight to the information these agencies are dealing with. However, I would like to comment on the potential bailout the Big 3 automakers, GM (GM:NYSE), Ford (F:NYSE) and Chrysler. I will attempt to be brief, but it is an extremely complex problem.

First, almost daily on CNBC and FOX Business, I repeatedly hear a host or a guest fire the comment out that these firms do not make quality vehicles the public would want. This is total bullshit! I personally own a Chevrolet SUV and a Pontiac sedan and both are superb, particularly the Pontiac GXP. Both have over 60K miles and not withstanding the Goodyear (GT:NYSE) Racing Eagles I have had to replace, I have not spent over $1000 combined on these vehicles. Good God, I hope I did not just curse myself.
GENERAL MOTORS 2009 PONTIAC G8 SEDAN, MOTOR TREND CAR OF THE YEAR FINALIST

The problems the automakers face has nothing to do with a lack of product quality or vision for design and appeal of the current or future vehicles. In fact, outside of Chrysler's Bob Nardelli, who ran Home Depot (HD:NYSE) into the ground, the management is not all that bad in my view. The automaker CEO's do have a pink elephant in the room; the unions.


The automakers were running on the tightest of margins, hampered by governmental regulation, taxes, tariffs, global climate change initiatives (no, I am not kidding) CAFE and emission standards and union demands that are completely illogical and lack any sort of flexibility. They maintain the margins by relying on the consumer to continue turning over inventory every five years or so as outlined by analyst modeling based on long term data. BOOM, the housing market fell off a cliff and consumers got caught up in, with ironic apologies to The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, a stranglehold.

With consumer expendable income squeezed dry, big ticket purchases are the first thing to be placed on the sideline. Demand for these items has not gone away, but quantity demanded has fallen off a cliff due to skyrocketing gas prices (which have since subsided but the consumer has zero confidence they won't soon return), uncertainty about the economic near term future and the extreme difficulty in obtaining credit, which is the lifeblood to our consumer driven economy. No consumers mean no revenue and with that comes the instant inability to reach those already razor thin margins, and it is not even close.

So, should they be left to wilt under fire and cease to exist, crushing thousands of jobs and creating a untold tiered ripple effect. Without some serious revisions to business as usual, yes.

However, we are presented with an opportunity at this time, and our representatives on the hill should take full advantage of it.

Organized labor under The United Auto Workers is the main culprit hampering the industry in the effort to be competitive with foreign automakers, particularly those with plants in the United States. Legacy costs create a burden that is estimated to represent over $2000 per vehicle in additional costs which in this extremely competitive environment is just a killer. Union contracts force the automakers to pay inflated wages which creates inefficient market conditions which are unsustainable. Blogger Mark Perry, Economics professor at The University of Michigan (Flint campus), provides a chart of the breakdown on his Carpe Diem blog.

Recent negotiations between the Big 3 and the UAW have planted mustard seeds as incoming workers are paid competitive wages while the legacy costs are estimated to fall off dramatically over the next decade. I did recognize that at the table before the congress along with the CEO's of the Big 3 was the UAW representative. It is not the Big 4, or is it? Against the backdrop of bankruptcy, the UAW rep really does not have dog in this hunt. Part of the existing UAW contracts indicate a certain level of paid hours of workers, regardless of fluctuations in quantity demanded and production levels. Would you run your bakery or hardware store like that? Should a bailout, or workout as former Mass Gov. Mitt Romney (R) puts it, move forward, major concessions should come from the UAW. In fact, they promote inefficiency, are unnecessary and should cease to exist in my view.

The government also places tariffs on intercontinental automobile trading, giving foreign competitors a significant competitive advantage. Since trade agreements must be adhered to until the time period of the agreement is exhausted, perhaps Uncle Sam should issue tax incentives to consumers who purchase US autos? This could work, but the issue of consumer credit must be solved or there will be no buyers to grab that incentive.

The government has already signed off to give the automakers 25 million to predominantly deal with the emission standards the government has placed upon the automakers. I know I will be labeled on par with a holocaust denier to speak out that global climate change is a farce, but in light of limited evidence to the contrary (record low in Orlando this morning), perhaps the government could suspend, or I may recommend, eliminate, these cumbersome regulatory restraints and directives? At any rate, with bankruptcy looming, they could use that money to stay alive.

All three US automakers are making impressive progress in fuel efficient vehicles, and most of the GM fleet gets over 30 MPG. The Chevrolet Volt, shown below, should be a huge seller.

GM INNOVATION IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES COMES TO THE CONSUMER IN 2010 WITH THE CHEVY VOLT

I had to laugh watching Chris Dodd and Barney Frank presiding over the hearings with the Big 3 CEO's. If the housing crisis did not unfold, the automakers would not be in the position the currently find themselves in, and Frank and Dodd were asleep at the wheel as that problem emerged (would the fine folks of Connecticut and Massachusetts please toss these corrupt idiots out of office?). Governmental regulatory intervention and organized labor eliminate any fighting chance the Big 3 have to competitively emerge from this debacle. These barriers to competitiveness should be eliminated yesterday.

Since the government contributed to the cause of the problems that saddle the Big 3, government should assist them in the way out, and then get the hell out of the way! The auto industry is not a normal business, and it's importance to America is quite significant. I think some sort of workout, either a bankruptcy with a partial governmental backstop or a bailout/workout with a conservator (Romney?) is necessary as I fear the aftermath and costs of complete failure significantly surpasses that of a workout.

But if the Big 3 are going to take the taxpayers money, they must adhere to conditions, and those would include but not be limited to elimination of the UAW, the restructuring and rewriting of current union contracts, elimination of duplicate models (Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice, for example) and the reduction in the amount of dealerships (which does not necessarily include the elimination of product lines). If bankruptcy is the option taken, the government should be cognizant of the effect on warranties (would require some sort of backstop) and the potential impact of the tiered suppliers which could be severely damaged or lost in the ripple effect, including companies like Johnson Controls (JCI:NYSE) and Lear Corporation (LEA:NYSE). Evaluating the landscape on this issue, I find a workout of some sort is critical to our economy at this time.

I find it poetic that during green week, partly because government has forced the industry to spend unnecessarily on green initiatives, we need to pass out armored cars full of greenbacks. A vicious circle indeed. It makes you want to pull the hair out of your head and set yourself on fire.

After that depressing commentary, for our listening pleasure I present Ford truck owner and Detroit native, The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, with Stranglehold.

Media Malfeasance

Anymore, I get up in the morning wondering when Mr. Scott beamed me to a somewhat synchronized planet because my America is damn near unrecognizable these days.

Among the many items of note is the jumping of the shark, scratch that, the metamorphosis, of the news media and the extreme bias they demonstrated during this election. Regardless of which side you party on, you would agree the media has somewhat of a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of this country not to blatantly attempt to direct the flow of news related information in a biased manner. They continue to fail miserably.

This video by John Zeigler on his site How Obama Got Elected, posted everywhere, is shocking to some but exactly what I suspected:



On the 30th anniversary of the tragic mass suicide among followers of Peoples Temple religious cult leader Jim Jones, we recognize, or so I think, how powerful voices can strongly influence trusting folks whom they empower with false or misleading information. It just happened again, and thankfully there has been no loss of life because of it. Yet.

The news media should be held accountable, for this is not about advertising dollars! This is about our country, and the lives of our children. They do not care, which I guess is why I was on the side of Country First and they were not.

A Raucous Radio Factor

Last week, while Bill O'Reilly was absent from "The Radio Factor", FOX News ladies Lis Wiehl and E.D. Hill sat in and held a discussion on the uproar surrounding the unsourced reports about the academic prowess and readiness for higher office of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin. As followers of the blog recognize, I am a fan of Sarah Palin and was before and after John McCain named her his running mate.

E. D. Hill, former co-host of Fox and Friends, supported Palin, accurately recognizing that Palin raises a family and faces issues most
normal American citizens face. Hill notes that Palin is anti-establishment, uses a barometer of common sense and does not subscribe to the normal politicking we see in the high levels of government. Palin is a graduate of The University of Idaho, not Harvard or Amherst. An intelligent, normal person. Sign me up!

Lis Wiehl, who although no doubt intelligent as she is a quite accomplished attorney and I am sure a very nice individual, is perhaps the most naive radio and television personality I can think of. Wiehl represents elitism in my view. Lis stated felt she could have tea with Palin, although I am quite sure Palin does not meet elitist for tea. She commented that due to Palin being an outsider not possessing the Ivy League degree she could not intelligently handle the extreme decision making that accompanies the office of the president, all the while discounting the lack of experience Obama has since he is the chosen one. Wiehl has no clue about fly over America.

The interaction was just incredible, and it was quite easy to pick your side in this discussion. Give me E. D. Hill and Sarah Palin any day over naive chicks like Wiehl.

Unfortunately, I may be in the minority as TV Newser reports that E. D. Hill will not be retained by Fox News at the conclusion of her contract. She recently made what some considered to be a distasteful remark about the fist pumping by Barack and Michelle Obama. Hill calling it like she sees it is one of the things I appreciate about her most.

I think FOX dropped the wrong contributor in this case. Keep those elbows flying E.D. and good luck!

Run Like Hell

Investors Business Daily, editorializing about potential cabinet members of President-elect Barack Obama, has put forth an alarming scenario which every American citizen should read in Another Brick In "The Wall".

Among those being considered by the Obama transition team for the post of Attorney General (a post likely to have gone to Rudolph Giuliani had McCain won) is former Clinton administration member Jamie Gorelick. As IBD accurately points out, this woman has the distinction of being negatively involved in the conditions that allowed 9-11 to take place and how the housing crisis to unfolded. Gorelick, as a member of the 9-11 commission, displayed a level of arrogance not commonly witnessed given her actions in placing the "wall" between governmental agencies prohibiting the "connecting of the dots".

Adding to idiocy, she spent several years, pocketing millions, as a board member of Fannie Mae, along with Jim Johnson and under CEO Franklin Raines, both of whom are former Clinton administration players and Obama advisors. Can you imagine?

For the love of Pete, could we please keep this woman away from things that negatively affect our children's future?

Anyhow, IBD slams her finger in the door, as well they should, particularly since the conductors of the Obama train, or the mainstream media, won't.

If she wins this position, Run Like Hell!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 11-0, 1
2. Texas Tech 10-0, 2
3. Texas 10-1, 3
4. Oklahoma 9-1, 4
5. Florida 9-1, 5
6. Southern Cal 9-1. 6
7. Utah 11-0, 7
8. Penn State 10-1, 8
9. Boise State 10-0, 9
10. Oklahoma State 9-2, 10
11. Missouri 9-2, 11
12. Georgia 9-2, 12
13. Ohio State 9-2, 13
14. Ball State 10-0, 14
15. Texas Christian 9-2, 16
16. Brigham Young 10-1, 17
17. Michigan State 9-2, 20
18. Louisiana State 7-3, 19
19. Cincinnati 8-2, 22
20. Pittsburgh 7-2, 21
21. Miami, FL 7-3, NR
22. Maryland 7-3, NR
23. North Carolina 7-3, 15
24. Georgia Tech 7-3, 23
25. Boston College 7-3, NR

OUT: Florida State, Wake Forest, South Carolina.
VOTES: Florida State, Oregon, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Western Michigan, California.

Florida bomb blasted South Carolina 56-6, handing former Gator and current Gamecock Coach Steve Spurrier his worst loss ever. And South Carolina is generally thought to be a strong defensive team. Who knows, but what is clear that when this team wants to get after it offensively, they are impossible to defend. Florida is on a collision course with top ranked Alabama in a hide the women and children SEC Championship Game.

Michigan, with Ohio State looming this weekend, has lost 8 games in a season for the first time in their storied history....Troy led LSU 31-3 but could not hold it as LSU stormed back in the final quarter to win 40-31....Miami FL has taken command in the ACC Coastal playing very limited offense all year.....Meanwhile, Florida State continues to excel on either one side of the ball only or neither side, as was the case last evening as a rather pedestrian Boston College resembled a vintage San Francisco 49er team in confusing our talented? defense. This lack of cohesion is really getting difficult to absorb, particularly when considering the veteran coaching staff and player talent on hand. Somehow, I managed to avoid the police in all my goings on cruising chicks at The Musical Moon and have not thrown any chairs either.....Vanderbilt is bowl eligible after dumping Kentucky, so congrats to the 'Dores....Although they got by an average Auburn team, Georgia is not playing very well. In fact, outside of Florida and Alabama, the SEC seems rather weak....Mercifully, Greg Robinson has been axed at Syracuse. His tenure there has been nothing short of a disaster, and what Syracuse was thinking dumping Paul Pasqualoni some years back remains puzzling as the program has hit rock bottom.....President elect Barack Obama has thrown his two cents into the college football playoff debate commenting that he would be in favor of an eight team playoff. I am hoping we limit the items he is going to screw up and keep this beloved game away from his influence.....We await two big games this week as Texas Tech visits Norman to take on OU while BYU and Utah tangle out west....Texas A&M got slapped by Baylor behind the standout frosh signal caller leading the Bears and A&M is really struggling....Nebraska threw up over 600 yards of O in crushing K-State, where it does appear a coaching change is a sound move. Mr. Mouth Josh Freeman left the game after being battered all afternoon....Texas, behind Colt McCoy and a stellar no name defense, does look very good this year and has now won 10 games in 8 consecutive seasons, the longest current streak and ties for the second longest in modern history....Tulsa, ranked for much of the season, gave up 70 to conference foe Houston, which perhaps indicates why they are no longer ranked.

Bottom Fishing

The Orlando Regional Realtor Association, of which I am a member, reports existing home sales in greater Orlando rose for the second consecutive month in October, representing the first time in over two years we have had this occurrence. Could this be signifying a turn in the local housing market?

Certainly, the amount of sales includes distressed properties, either those in pre-foreclosure, already foreclosed upon or short sales. But burning off the inventory is key to any market recovery, so as long as the sales out pace the inventory growth, progress is being made. The Condo market, included in these figures, remains a disaster, signaling single family homes may be faring better than the overall figures show.

Affordability is quite attractive for would be buyers as interest rates remain historically low and prices of homes have fallen to levels not dreamed about three years ago. Unfortunately, credit remains a significant issue, even with the actions of The FED and the federal government.

FOX Business Network's Alexis Glick discusses the housing market with Spencer Rascoff of Zillow.com. Take a listen.

Hottie Toddy Everybody!

The euphoria associated with Ole Miss emerging under first year coach Houston Nutt has FOX's Sudio B host Sheppard Smith quite looped from the Kool-Aid he has no doubt been drinking. He defensively proclaimed there was no media bias in the election of Barack Obama! Looped? Call it shit canned!



Several newspapers have since stated the bias they had toward Obama, and MSNBC was the NYC Obama headquarters. NBC is loaded with pro Obama folks, led on CNBC by John Harwood, who was simply disgusting in his nightly "equitable assessment" during appearances on Kudlow & Company, and the ridiculous tandem of Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews on MSNBC.

I suspect Smith is showing his bias. I recall Smith, along with Geraldo Rivera, was strongly critical of the Bush administration for the handling of Hurricane Katrina. This of course the natural disaster where Bush told folks living in a city 8 feet under sea level with the storm of all ages bearing down to leave, they did not, and paid the cnsequences of their actions, much to the dismay of Smith and Rivera.

Shepp has come a long way from covering the car wrecks down here in Orlando for WCPX-CBS-6, but he is obviously full of himself if he remotely suspects his profession is not biased in it's political coverage. Obama supporter, idiot or liar? Hottie Toddy Everybody!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 10-0, 1
2. Texas Tech 10-0, 2
3. Texas 9-1, 4
4. Oklahoma 9-1, 5
5. Florida 8-1, 6
6. Southern Cal 8-1 7
7. Utah 10-0, 9
8. Penn State 9-1 3
9. Boise State 9-0, 14
10. Oklahoma State 8-2, 7
11. Missouri 8-2, 10
12. Georgia 8-2, 12
13. Ohio State 8-2, 15
14. Ball State 9-0, 16
15. North Carolina 7-2, 17
16. Texas Christian 9-2, 11
17. Brigham Young 9-1, 18
18. Florida State 7-2, 20
19. Louisiana State 6-3, 13
20. Michigan State 9-2, 22
21. Pittsburgh 7-2, NR
22. Cincinnati 7-2, NR
23. Georgia Tech 7-3, 19
24. Wake Forest 7-3, NR
25. South Carolina 7-3, NR

OUT: Kansas, West Virginia, California, Maryland
VOTES: Virginia Tech, Tulsa, Maryland, California, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State.

Only in the deep south can we find items like this in the newspaper, but a bitter loss has led to the deaths of a couple in Alabama in the aftermath of Alabama defeating LSU in overtime.

LSU-ALABAMA PHOTO FROM ESPNVIA AP PHOTO TONY GUITERREZ
In a rather stunning development, alcohol was involved. So, a bunch of drunks in Alabama, all riled up over the game, grabbed their guns and shot at one another. "Everything was cool," said Shannon Odom, half brother of one of the deceased. "Next thing we know, they're dead." Well, there you go!

Texas Tech continued their stellar season by dismantling Oklahoma State in Lubbock..... Meanwhile, Oklahoma is throwing out 60+ on a weekly basis anymore.....So much for Tennessee winning for for ousted Coach Phil Fulmer; they got shut down by lowly Wyoming, who is about to oust their coach, 13-7, marking three straight weeks the Vols have failed to score 10 or more.....Southern Cal just does not seem to have the firepower to demolish anyone other than Washington State....TCU and Utah played a hard fought contest this past week.....Iowa scored it's biggest win since 1985 in dumping Penn State, who really for the first time this year, looked pedestrian.....Nebraska got a big 45-35 win against Kansas, but the Jayhawks, who own an identical record as NU, remains above the 'Huskers in receiving votes. Go figure!......Colorado used a last second gaol line stand to beat Iowa State, leaving us to wonder what has happened in Boulder. I will check in with my contacts up there for some intel.....North Carolina flexed some muscle in downing Georgia Tech, and what might have been if they had not got nipped at home by UVA a few weeks back. And I do not like the navy jerseys......I am interested to see Ball State finish out the season and am real impressed with the offensive unit they poseess behind first round draft pick quarterback Nate Harris.....One wonders if George O'Leary is in his final days at UCF, where offense is alien coming off a league championship......Florida will meet Alabama in the SEC title game, and that is definitely must see TV, but could the ole ball coach and South Carolina derail the Gators when they meet Saturday?......Georgia may be my worst preseason pick in my 38 years history of releasing a poll, as they barely shoved Kentucky aside and cold easily lose again before the year ends......Florida State seems to be gaining strength and could very easily be 9-0, and have you noticed they are suddenly putting up some points on offense each week......Red Raider Michael Crabtree is nasty, particularly when the opponent does not cover him, as we saw with the Pokes on Saturday....Don't look now, but the Hurricanes could just win the ACC Coastal, but need to take out Va. Tech this Thursday to remain in contention.

Obama's Army of Educators

While the mainstream media were hundreds strong in Wasilla, Alaska searching for dirt on GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin, Finnish documentarians were observing Barack Obama supporters, and it could not be more troubling.

Viewing this video will bring out the blood pressure medicine for any parent of school children, any citizen who appreciates our constitution, or actually anyone with a brain.

This beastly woman, who claims to be discussing the election with the children of the class she teaches in North Carolina without inserting her opinions, exhibits everything that is abhorrent within the public school system. Her obnoxious treatment of a particular student with a father in the military is nothing short of pitiful, and in my opinion, child abuse.

I would yank my kid out that classroom yesterday. This ignorant piece of garbage, or teacher, at a minimum, should be fired immediately and the potential issue of child abuse should be examined. There is no question she abused the one student, but it unfortunately may not be illegal. In a most unfortunate thought, is this just an anomaly? And what other ideological platforms are being shoved down our children's throats?

Parents beware!!!! If you want the job done right, do it yourself or keep a close participatory eye on who is educating your children, our most important asset.

The Most Hated Man in America

The immediate aftermath following the historical election of our 44th President Barack Obama has presented some interesting items of note. One such item took place yesterday, and although it was noted by a few folks other than myself, much of the country likely missed it, or refused to recognize the classy gesture President George W. Bush extended to President-elect Obama.

Republicans and conservatives are being asked to get behind Obama by folks who have spent the last six years trying to impeach Bush and/or Cheney. These people never got past their ridiculous "selected not elected" mindset and never gave Bush a shot. Bush actually won Florida in 2000 (I live and vote in Florida) and this type of behavior exhibited against Bush hurt our country.

I will post my scorecard on the Bush presidency when it is over, but it may take the same tone of a post today by Bizzy Blog.

The hatred of Bush is improperly placed. FOX Business Chief Neil Cavuto recognizes this and notes the gesture by Bush to Obama, offering some commentary on it. Take a listen below:


Good job Neil, I think you are right on target!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 9-0, 2
2. Texas Tech 9-0, 5
3. Penn State 9-0, 3
4. Texas 8-1, 1
5. Oklahoma 8-1, 4
6. Florida 7-1, 6
7. Oklahoma State 8-1, 7
8. Southern Cal 7-1, 9
9. Utah 9-0, 10
10. Missouri 6-2, 11
11. Texas Christian 8-1, 13
12. Georgia 7-2, 8
13. LSU 6-2, 12
14. Boise State 8-0, 16
15. Ohio State 7-2, 14
16. Ball State 8-0, 17
17. No. Carolina 6-2, 19
18. Brigham Young 8-1, 20
19. Georgia Tech 7-2, NR
20. Florida State 6-2, 15
21. Maryland 6-2, 22
22. Michigan State 7-2, 23
23. California 7-2 NR
24. West Virginia 6-2, NR
25. Kansas 5-3, NR

OUT: South Florida, Oregon, Minnesota and Tulsa
VOTES: Tulsa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, South Carolina

It is getting ugly out there as the Dean of SEC Coaches, Tennessee's Pihllip Fulmer, is shown the door, much the same way his predecessor Johnny Majors was. Upheaval at Rocky Top....Not to be left out as competition for aspiring coaches heats up, Kansas State has dumped Ron Prince. It appeared early Prince would get it going but it just has not occurred and getting blasted 31-0 at the half by rival Kansas last week did not help....Another coaching blunder led to an Florida State loss, as a tailback "feeling it" in the fourth quarter was replaced by a cold fullback who preceded to fumble going in for the winning score at Georgia Tech, snatching yet another defeat from the hands of victory.....Florida blasted Georgia in the worlds largest cocktail party and has put itself in position to play for the title pending an SEC Championship game victory, likely against Alabama....Texas Tech led Texas for much of the evening only to give up the lead very late. No worry, Graham Harrell found All America wideout Michael Crabtree who used his physical strength to find paydirt and keep the Red Raiders undefeated. Seventh ranked Oklahoma State is next....Auburn is reeling, as is Michigan, who lost the consecutive bowl streak since they will finish with a losing record. The streak is now with FSU.......Speaking of Michigan, Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz was shown the door and his Rockets took out Michigan at "The Big House" earlier this year. Back in the day, like last week, you would think a coach at Toledo would be the talk of the town for sleighing a dragon like Michigan, but hey, after Appalachian State did it in '07 it may not be all that, and if you are a Wolverine, this is a horrendous development.....Clemson comes to FSU this weekend, but no Bowden Bowl with Tommy fired.....Last week I mentioned Robert Griffith, Baylor's sensational freshman quarterback, and the staff at Missouri no doubt missed my comments since they escaped 31-28 as Griffith threw an INT with just seconds remaining, his first in over 235 attempts, a freshman NCAA record....The ACC remains wide open, as there are several decent teams but no team worthy of a BCS bid, at least not now....The Big 12 South is as strong as a conference division can get....Notre Dame fell to Pitt in 4OT's....UCF playing on Sunday's is becoming a drinking problem for many of my peeps with Monday morning commitments.

Get A Life!

Right here in lovley Conway, from a point about 45 days out, my family and I did have a McCain-Palin sign in our front yard, as pictured at left. Someone did try to damage it, but we repaired the sign and placed it right back in the yard. Our neigborhood had a 60-40 advantage McCain-Palin.

But, in a neighboring subdivison, good grief, did this person overwhelmingly want some change!

Historic Election

Congratulations to Illinois Senator Barack Obama on winning election as the 44th President of the United States. His campaign was outstanding and it showed. It was a historic election and indeed a very special day for our African American citizens. I have long practiced the thoughts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by judging a man by his character and not by the color of his skin, so for me personally I did not think much about that. However, I certainly can appreciate what a meaningful day it must be for others. Any American, regardless of race, economic status, favorite sports team or ethnic background can achieve anything they desire in this great country with hard work and continuing education, provided we do not become a socialist state.

As I have written repeatedly in this blog, I strongly oppose most all of the policies put forth by Obama on the campaign trail. I wish I could think he is a swell guy I just disagree with, but his numerous alliances with unsavory characters and his unwillingness to publicly answer questions regarding these relationships gives me great cause for concern. The American public, however, given last nights results, does not share my concerns.

As I am an American, Obama will be my President and I will try to support him when his policies do not cross with my economic and moral values. Given the campaign rhetoric, it will be a long 4 years. Since Obama has been less than sincere on the campaign trail, changing positions routinely, there is the possibility he may govern from the center in similar ways to how Bill Clinton governed. I think I could live with that.

It was a tough night for Republicans indeed, even here at the local level where my friend and former classmate Ric Keller got washed right on out of Congress. At any rate, I should have some great opportunities for commentary going forward, unless I get KO'd by the implementation of the fairness doctrine.

PS: I am appalled at the thought of our Commander in Chief being a chain smoker. Since he is representing our country and providing example for our young people, you think he could give that nasty habit up?

We Can! We Will! We MUST!

Dr. Bill Bennett in his significant wisdom outlines 10 major concerns about Barack Obama, and it is definitely worth revisiting on election eve. For me, the decision could not be clearer! McCain-Palin!

A Presidential Preacher?

Have another look at Obama's spiritual advisor Jeremiah Wright firebomb hate at America!!!!

Remember this cat when you get to the voting booth. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is no Billy Graham!

Our Enemies Are Watching

Polling shows, that as the economic issues have taken center stage in voters minds, only 9% of Americans are concerned with The Global War on Terror. So, while most of our country sleeps, our enemies are lying in wait for the potential election of an untested foreign policy neophyte who they feel they can toy with. Here is some commentary from former UN Ambassador John Bolton:


If we are not safe at home, we may not have to worry about policy bickering over taxation, global climate change, if it exists, and social policies of helping folks who won't make an effort to help themselves.

John McCain is a tested war Hero with the skills and knowledge to keep our country safe from those who trying to kill us. And as Sarah Palin accurately points out on the campaign stump, these enemies have not picked up their toys and gone home. They are waiting for signs of weakness. Will they get their wish on Tuesday? I aim to make sure they don't! Elect McCain, who as Dennis Miller puts it, will kill terrorists and earmarks interchangeably!

Obama Skirting the Truth: The Record

Investors Business Daily award winning cartoonist Michael Ramirez strikes again.
In the slick infomercial put forth the other night were some important omissions of the truth. A football analogy would be like saying we only gave up 62 yards rushing to our opponent while failing to mention we were torched for 471 passing.

Let's do not vote a swindler into office, one with very limited experience and a complete lack of economic understanding. There is no record of accomplishment for Obama. John McCain has spent more time in a box as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than Obama has in public office. McCain IS the only candidate who HAS fought for you!

Closer Than The Experts Think

The IBD/Tipp poll was the most accurate in 2004. Of note is that undecided voters are breaking strongly in the favor of McCain-Palin. Recall that exit polling had George W. Bush defeated by lunch time in '04. So the time is now to get out and vote, Fight for America and let's Make History!

A Cabinet of Crooks?

From Gateway Pundit

A Wink of the Eye