Monday, October 27, 2014

Timeless Time For Choosing

A Time For Choosing.

Among the most influential speeches in modern political history, the speech Ronald Reagan gave defining conservatism is as relevant today as it was when he gave it in support of Barry Goldwater 50 years ago today, on October 27, 1964.

This speech is approximately 28 minutes, and if you have not heard it previously, it would be well worth your time.



“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.”

Sunday, October 26, 2014

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State, 7-0, 1
2.     Mississippi State, 7-0, 2
3.     Alabama, 7-1, 4
4.     Oregon, 7-1, 5
5.     Michigan State, 7-1, 7
6.     Notre Dame, 6-1, 7
7.     Georgia, 6-1, 8
8.     Auburn, 6-1, 9
9.     Ole Miss, 7-1, 3
10.   Texas Christian, 6-1, 10
11.   Kansas State, 6-1, 11
12.   Arizona State, 6-1,13
13.   Nebraska, 7-1, 12
14.   Baylor, 6-1, 15
15.   Louisiana State, 7-2, 21
16.   Ohio State, 6-1, 14
17.   Arizona, 6-1, 16
18.   Utah, 6-1, 23
19.   Oklahoma, 5-2, 17
20.   West Virginia, 6-2, 19
21.   Clemson, 6-2, 18
22.   Duke, 6-1, 24
23.   Louisville, 6-2, NR
24.   UCLA, 6-2, NR
25.   East Carolina, 6-1, 22

OUT: Southern Cal (20 and Washington (25).

VOTES:  Stanford, Southern Cal, Washington, Miami, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Marshall, Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Missouri.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Miami, behind a stellar effort from RB Duke Johnson, smashed Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, a place the Canes have found little success over the years.  Tech looked lethargic and slow, particularly on the lines of scrimmage....East Carolina looked average in getting a win at UCONN.....Oregon won a track meet at Cal, who kept scoring all night and is obviously very much improved from a year ago...Wisconsin played their best game of the season and pounded Maryland, who is treading water...Illinois in grey Galloping Ghost tribute unis upset Minnesota.....North Carolina got a big win at Virginia, and the ACC Coastal is a mess......Texas was shut out at Kansas State, and they road back for the Horns looks long while the Wildcats are on the verge of the top ten....Colorado is finally making some strides, but they shockingly took UCLA to two overtimes before falling in Boulder....Georgia Tech used five lost fumbles by Pitt, in the first quarter, to bash the Panthers at Heinz Field....TCU scored 82 points on Texas Tech, and the Frogs look stellar on offense.....Michigan State dominated the lowly Wolverines in East Lansing....Miss. State played from ahead against an improved Kentucky team that would not quit, but the win was not all that impressive for the Bulldogs.....Clemson is not much on offense without frosh QB DeShaun Watson, outlasting a pesky Syracuse in Death Valley....Stanford pounded Oregon State, playing their best game of the year ahead of tilt with Oregon....Arizona jumped all over Wazzu quick, and held on, but could Rich Rod be a candidate at Florida?.....Ole Miss fell at LSU, as many before them have, not able to generate any points, and the Tigers, despite some critical turnovers and losing the turnover stats 0-4, found a way to win with stellar D and a strong running game....Auburn won a track meet at home against South Carolina, and while the offense was strong, the defense was not....Behind a record performance by WR Amari Cooper, Alabama got by Tennessee, who had to go without starting QB Worley....Down 0-17, Penn State battled back to lose in two overtimes to Ohio State, somewhat exposing the Buckeyes....Utah found a way to upset USC in Salt Lake, and if only the Utes had not fallen to Wazzu....In rain and high winds in Seattle, Arizona State got by Washington 24-10, and the Sun Devils are looking very good these days.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

Behind Ameer Abdullah, it was a record breaking afternoon as Nebraska beat Rutgers 42-24 on homecoming at Lincoln.  Abdullah, a Heisman candidate, set the school record for all purpose yards in a game, leading the Big Red to victory.  Abdullah rushed for 225 yards and had a kickoff return of 76 yards, moving to second behind Wisconsin Heisman winner Ron Dayne for the most all-purpose yards in Big Ten history.  WR Kenny Bell had six catches, and became the all time leader in number of receptions for the Big Red.  Along with the offensive line, QB Tommy Armstrong played very well at times as well, and the offense looks on the verge of really being potent, but there are the misfires, through execution failures, penalties and mental breakdowns that get in the way. CB Josh Mitchell had a long day, and there were breakdowns at linebacker and in the secondary.  The defensive front is a real strength for Nebraska, and they dominated the line of scrimmage. "We got the win and I'm happy about that. That's all I'm happy about," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "I didn't like the way we played. I thought we were sloppy, inconsistent and we didn't play up to the standard we need to."  Agreed.  It was an 11AM kick, and this somewhat sleep walking effort was more than enough to beat Rutgers, but it will not  work when the competition steps up.  Another opportunity to fine tune comes next week as Purdue visits Lincoln, but having started the season a dumpster fire, the Boilers have extinguished the fire and have improved considerably in recent weeks.  That said, the Huskers should use the game as a chance to get firing on all cylinders.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

The Seminoles had a much needed bye week, as they were awful banged up.  Florida State will be at Louisville for a Thursday night ESPN matchup.  The 'Noles will have their hands full to be sure.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Going Pink

All over the fruited plain, everyone is going pink! All for a great cause, a collaborative effort to raise money to fight breast cancer.  This effort, based by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, is without question one of the most successful charitable fundraising this nation has ever seen.  After all, who does not want to join the fight against breast cancer?

Everyone is in!

The Chevrolet SS pace car this past weekend for the running of NASCAR's GEICO 500 at Talladega Super Speedway was looking sharp, painted pink and making strides against breast cancer.


The Florida State University Golden Girls Dance Team, posing with the 2014 College Football Playoff Trophy, were looking lovely in Tallahassee this past weekend prior to the the most watched regular season college football game in over two seasons as visiting Notre Dame fell at the last second to Florida State.


When thinking pink and college football, who can not include the Oregon Ducks, who under the inspiration of NIKE founder and alumnus Phil Knight have over a 100 uniform combinations, sporting pink over the green and yellow combos we customarily see the Ducks wearing.


At my place of employment, and most likely yours, the company has presented numerous opportunities to have fun and raise money for this wonderful cause.Man, this is a great story.

Or is it.

Once upon I time, I was eager to contribute to this seemingly worthy cause. Like many other families, cancer has affected many of my relatives, taking the life of my Uncle in his thirties with other family members counted among the survivors.

However, I no longer participate in fundraising with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, as I have learned that a significant portion of the moneys raised end up in the hands of Planned Parenthood.  Once this became public, there was a significant backlash against the now named Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure.

Appropriately, in my view, part of that backlash included a decrease in the donation level. But not necessarily for the reasons you may think.  Let us take a step back and review.

Susan G. Komen had annually made significant donations to Planned Parenthood, which is essentially an abortion mill disguised as a womens health organization.  Abortion is legal, but many see the act as much more than birth control, but rather murder.  Although I am against abortion, we won't debate that now.

Margaret Sanger, the founder of what has later become Planned Parenthood and a hero to Hillary Clinton, was really an evil woman. Thought to be advancing the rights of women, and perhaps there was some thinking in that regard, the central force in her social activism was eugenics.  Included in her thoughts was that it was a worthy enterprise to "assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit."

Masked under the premise of womens health, abortion was considered a vehicle to rid the nation of those who were unfit in the eyes of Sanger and her fellow progressive elitists. You see, Sanger and her crowd knew better than you, including who was fit enough to live and die.  Imagine the arrogance.

In the world today, where an ill mouthed statement can forever label you a racists, it was indeed Sanger and is indeed Planned Parenthood that are seemingly assisting in the demise of the African-America population, as an article in The Washington Times notes the following:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Abortion Surveillance report revealed that between 2007 and 2010, nearly 36 percent of all abortions in the United States were performed on black children, even though black Americans make up only 13 percent of our population. A further 21 percent of abortions were performed on Hispanics, and 7 percent more on other minority groups, for a total of 64 percent of U.S. abortions tragically performed on minority groups. Margaret Sanger would have been proud of the effects of her legacy.

Due to this, many potential donors hoping to defeat breast cancer have taken donations elsewhere, which led the organization to cease funding to Planned Parenthood.  However, this action was seen as taking a stand for abortion and against womens rights, creating a bunch of anger among other supporters, which included resignations from high level executive within the organization.  The Foundation, caught in a squeeze, acquiesced and once again began donations to Planned Parenthood.

As The New York Times reported, "The people at Komen, it seems, are pilloried no matter what they do". 

Personal views are indeed the final straw here.  I will no donate any of my hard earned dollars to an organization that openly funds an organization whose mission statement is to invest in "groundbreaking research, community outreachadvocacy and programs in over 30 countries".  While I strongly support the effort to defeat all cancer, it is those donations to community health outreach, likely comprised of donations to Planned Parenthood, that I will not support. 

Therefore, with the Susan G. Komen Foundation in bed financially with Planned Parenthood, they will venture on without a dime of my money.   My money is much better allocated to supporting other worthwhile charitable endeavors. 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Commander in Chaos

Without question, the best editorial page in the world belongs to Investors Business Daily. Perhaps the most talented among the staff is editorial columnist and cartoonist Michael Ramirez.  Again this week, Ramirez hit it out of the park.  The following editorial cartoon speaks volumes without commentary.

Michael Ramirez/Investors Business Daily

President Obama is quite serious about only a few things; the transformation of America from a world power, the transfer of wealth from oppressive Uncle Sam to those he stole from, an utter disdain for the US Military and the utilization of his personal time.

For those invested in the prosperity and safety of the citizens of America, the presidency of Obama has been a disaster. You think things are out of control, and Obama is in over his head.  You are incorrect; things are going as planned.

When leadership lacks, and weakness is projected, and a fertile ground for opponents of this nation, agents of evil and unscrupulous actors, achieves a greater yield.  The seeming lack of seriousness by Obama presents a green light to go for our enemies, terrorists around the globe, which results in chaos.

An orchestrated chaos.

While the alarm rings loudly for you and I, Obama engages his plan of attack for these events, presented in the levels of DEFCON so brilliantly described by Ramirez.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

#TakeTheCrown

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
For the first time since winning the 1985 fall classic, the Kansas City Royals are about to take the field in the The World Series, hosting the San Francisco Giants in the first of the best of seven series.

The run to get to this point has been awesome, and in attending my first home Royals game since 1978 back in September, I lay claim to bringing them good luck. But really, this collection of players and coaches exemplify everything you want in a sports team.

While I wish the best for Florida State's own Buster Posey of the Giants, it is 'Husker Alex Gordon I hope will lead the Royals to the world championship.

Husker Cheer, Alex Gordon, Darin Erstad and Herbie Husker
Good Luck to the Royals, a class organization built from within, with a great group of young players representing them. George Brett and I will be cheering them on.

#BE ROYAL, #TAKETHECROWN

Monday, October 20, 2014

Under Control

Another presentation of excellence from Michael Ramirez of Investors.com.
Michael Ramirez/Investors Business Daily
64% of Americans think things in America are out of control. They are right.

However, things are under control for President Obama.

Obama did run guns, seemingly in hopes of an event which would sway the American public opinion with respect to the second amendment.  Can you think of any logical reasoning to arm those engaging in conflict with our border patrol agents on the southern border?

Richard Nixon dreamed of targeting political enemies, and had articles of impeachment filed for attempting to use the IRS to do so.  Obama did utilize the IRS to target, not only individual political opponents, but political groups and non profits political organizations across America.  In the aftermath, the administration has dodged and deflected Congressional inquires all the way home. These are impeachable offenses.

Perhaps the most despicable actions of the Obama administration, completely inclusive of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was the actions undertaken in Benghazi.  As if sacrificing patriots charged in the defense of our nation  is not deplorable enough, both President Obama and Sec. Clinton lied to the American people, and the families of the fallen, about their deaths, floating propaganda about a video causing all the disturbance leading to the death causing conflict.  It was gun running.

Obamacare is nothing short of a governmental takeover of private industry.  Democrat operatives have spoken aloud, even if ignored by the mainstream media, that the objective is to put private insurance companies out of business.  And no, you cannot keep your doctor and no, your premiums are not decreasing.  It was, and is, all a lie, right down to the death panels.

The border rush of all those youngsters on tricycles entering our nation through the southern border was not a 21st century rebirth of the gumball rally.  No, it was a vehicle in the effort to transfer the wealth to those in nations the United States supposedly oppressed as we built our prosperity through free market enterprise and entrepreneur ship.

An opponent of our allies and a friend to our enemies, the release of five of the worst terrorists we held captive for a servicemen who by most accounting went AWOL is beyond criminal.  Listening to Private Bergdahl's father speak in code to our opponents, an orchestrated slap in the face to America by Obama, was really hard to swallow.  This is high treason. Of course, if you have been following along, Obama is not on the same team as Uncle Sam, and I, are on.

Those charged in protecting the President are repeatedly dropping the ball.  Obama is a very bad guy, but we cannot have his security fail resulting in his injury or death.  In this country, we remove tyrants through a the legal process.  Keep in mind the enemies in foreign lands are really his friends, even Medvedev.

Ramirez ran out of room.

In addition, never in history has the government in this country so aggressively sought the observance of the citizenry as those under the command of Obama.  From the usage of the IRS to Common Core, it is so out of control the battle between dystopian authors George Orwell and Aldous Huxley over who was right is in vogue.  I'll go with Huxley, by the way.

You think Obama thinks he is losing grip by all the above items cited as out of control.  Yet Obama is an anti-colonialist, an opponent of the west and free markets.  Obama is working, very effectively, to give them the wealth, them being those who the United States supposedly oppressed to achieve our wealth.

None of the above referenced items would have gone the way they did if you were in charge.  Think about it.
Obama is not lacking in intelligence, or arrogance, and he has got things in complete control, as least as far as he see it.

The transformation of The United States of America.  Indeed, Obama has it under control.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.    Florida State, 7-0, 1
2.    Mississippi State, 6-0, 2
3.    Mississippi, 7-0, 3
4.    Alabama, 6-1, 10
5.    Oregon, 6-1, 6
6.    Michigan State, 6-1, 7
7.    Notre Dame, 6-1, 4
8.    Georgia, 6-1, 8
9.    Auburn, 5-1, 9
10.  Texas Christian, 5-1. 11
11.  Kansas State, 5-1, 13
12.  Nebraska, 6-1, 14
13.  Arizona State, 5-1, 19
14.  Ohio State, 5-1, 22
15.  Baylor, 6-1, 5
16.  Arizona, 6-1, 20
17.  Oklahoma, 5-2, 12
18.  Clemson, 5-2, 17
19.  West Virginia, 5-2, NR
20.  Southern Cal, 5-2, NR
21.  Louisiana State, 6-2, 25
22.  East Carolina, 5-1, 20
23.  Utah, 5-1, NR
24.  Duke, 6-1, NR
25.  Washington, 5-2, 24

OUT: Oklahoma State (15), Stanford (16), Texas A&M (18) and UCLA (23).

VOTES:  UCLA, Texas A&M, Stanford, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Marshall, Oklahoma State, Maryland, Iowa, Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Boston College. 

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Pitt got a home win against Va. Tech, who after winning easily at Ohio State, has looked average at best....Utah got by at Oregon state.....Alabama, struggling in recent weeks, served notice those signaling their demise were mistaken by taking Texas A&M to the woodshed, handing Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin his fist shutout loss as a head coach, pounding the Aggies 59-0....North Carolina, favored by some to win the ACC Coastal and off to a horrendous start due to a pitiful defense, outlasted Georgia Tech in Chapel Hill....Georgia may be without Todd Gurley, but they are smashing the opposition and would be really good if they had an elite signal caller.....UCLA outlasted an obviously much improved Cal, escaping with a much needed win....Arizona State cemented their position in the PAC 12 by gaining a controlling win over reigning conference champ Stanford....Oregon did not give the Washington Huskies a chance at an upset, winning going away...Ole Miss smothered the aerial attack of Tennessee in most impressive fashion....West Virginia, behind the arm of Clint Trickett, in spite of two costly turnovers, upset Baylor 41-27 and the fans lit Morgantown on fire; literally....Louisville dumped NC State...TCU drubbed a decent Oklahoma State team, and although the Pokes have their back up QB for the rest of the year, this was a eye opening beating....Colorado is seemingly improving, but that did not stop USC from pounding the Buffs with QB Kessler throwing a record 7 TD's....Kentucky is improving, but so is LSU, and in Baton Rouge, the Tigers blasted the Wildcats 41-3, and look to be a preseason top ten if not five team to start  2015....Texas outlasted Iowa State, but these days, a win for the Horns is huge...Colorado State snuck by Utah State to go to 6-1 on the year.....Ohio State dominated Rutgers, and they look to be finding their way behind backup QB JT Bartlett...Iowa jumped out 14-0 at Maryland, and could not hold on, losing 38-31.....Florida, on homecoming, got hammered by Missouri despite only giving up 120 total yards and 7 first downs, as the Tigers got touchdowns on a kickoff return, a punt return, a pick six and a fumble return for a touchdown.  The Gators are a dumpster fire, and it would be a miracle if Will Muschamp survives the bye week.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

Nebraska was at Northwestern, a team that has given the Big Red fits since the NU joined the B1G.  Last season, it took a Hail Mary for the Huskers to win.  Northwestern got off to a bad start, but had been playing well in recent weeks, which included beating Wisconsin. This would be a real test for the Huskers.  The Huskers started slow, with Northwestern scoring first and holding a field goal lead at the half.  After the break, Nebraska seemed to wear the Cats down and got the running game going.  In addition, the Nebraska held Northwestern to only 28 second half yards.  Ameer Abdullah found yardage tight early, but kept pounding away and finished with 146 yards rushing.   The bye week gave Nebraska more time to get freshman flanker De'Mornay Pierson-El comfortable with the playbook, and he responded with 3 catches for 66 yards, and throwing a touchdown to quarterback Tommy Armstrong on a tight spiral off a reverse.  Kenny Bell had a good game also, with 5 catches for 89 yards.  Armstrong finished 18 of 29 for 221.  While he increased his completion percentage, the passes averaged 8 yards per catch.  It is important to note the Huskers did not have a turnover, with protection of the football, a concern with the Big Red, pivotal to any B1G championship run.  The 38-17 win at Northwestern was a good win for Nebraska to be sure.  The Huskers will be favored the rest of the way to Indianapolis.  They need to continue to improve, protect the football, and make it there.

FLORID STATE ANALYSIS

Florida State was not very good on Saturday night, nor were they very lucky.  Up until the last play, that is.  I thought the Seminoles would come out and play the best game of the season, but they did not.  FSU looked flat, lethargic and passive on defense and, outside of an easy, quick touchdown drive, were outplayed in the first half, going to the locker room down 17-10.  FSU quickly tied the game as the second half began, but FSU had trouble stopping the Irish all night and Notre Dame quickly answered the score.  Late in the third, FSU tied the score at 24.  The Seminole defense did come up with some critical stops, two on fourth and short, when it looked like Notre Dame may run away with the game.  The Seminoles did not allow much yardage after contact, which was game saving.  Notre Dame was held to a field as the fourth period began.  With the game on the line, FSU responded with a touchdown drive, which included a beautiful pass from Jamies Winston in the face of a blitz.  FSU would have to hold on.  Notre Dame got down into FSU territory but was forced to punt, and did so, pinning FSU inside the Seminole five.  FSU ran three inexplicable running plays, and was forced to punt.  Converting a 4th and 18, the Fighting Irish got the ball down to FSU 2, inside of a minute to go, and seemingly scored the winning touchdown on a pass to the tight end.  However, the Irish were cited for holding, an illegal pick at the point of attack, which negated the score.  From the 18 on fourth down, Irish quarterback Everett Golson, who played very well all night, missed on a throw into the end zone, which was intercepted, as the game expired.  In fact, FSU, outplayed much of the game, was lucky to win this one.  The crowd was electric and intense, and played a role in FSU gaining this victory.  Notre Dame looked much better than people thought, and although FSU did not look sharp, they found a way to win the ball game, which was a major hurdle in the march to playing for the national championship.  The 31 points is the lowest offensive point total for FSU since Winston began the season at quarterback last year.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Give Them All The Credit


The Kansas City Royals are World Series bound for the first time since 1985, the last time the Royals made the postseason. The 29 year drought is over, and the celebration in the Power & Light District is just beginning.

Kansas City swept the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles 4-0, becoming the first team in history to win eight consecutive playoff games to start the postseason. Outfielder Lorenzo Cain won the MVP trophy.

But during this unimaginable run, it has really been a total team effort.  One moment it is Mike Moustakis blasting a home run, or Jarrod Dyson stealing a base, or Alex Gordon making a highlight reel catch, the next it is lumbering Billy Butler stealing a base, or fleet of foot power hitting Cain bunting to move the runners. Then there is the all around play of emerging superstar Eric Hosmer.

Apparent to anyone watching, this team feeds off one another and is enjoying every minute of it. The team is an excellent example of how a cohesive locker room of people who individually make up a great team.

With the Royals baseball home located at the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, it is surely appropriate to quote President Truman, who once said "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."

Cain may have appropriately won the MVP, but give them all the credit.  They deserve it.

‪#‎TakeTheCrown, #BeRoyal

Sunday, October 12, 2014

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State, 6-0, 1
2.     Mississippi State, 6-0, 4
3.     Mississippi, 6-0, 3
4.     Notre Dame, 5-0, 6
5.     Baylor, 6-0, 5
6.     Oregon, 5-1, 12
7.     Michigan State, 5-1, 8
8.     Georgia, 5-1, 14
9.     Auburn, 5-1, 27
10.   Alabama, 5-1, 7
11.   Texas Christian, 4-1, 9
12.   Oklahoma, 5-1, 11
13.   Kansas State, 5-1, 15
14.   Nebraska, 5-1, 20
15.   Oklahoma State, 5-1, 17
16.   Stanford, 4-2, 21
17.   Clemson, 4-2, 16
18.   Texas A&M, 5-2, 13
19.   Arizona State, 4-1, 22
20.   Arizona, 5-1, 10
21.   East Carolina, 4-1, 19
22.   Ohio State, 4-1. 23
23.   UCLA, 4-2. 18
24.   Washington, 5-1, NR
25.   Louisiana State, 5-2, NR

OUT: Georgia Tech and Missouri.

VOTES: Iowa, Kentucky, Southern Cal, Utah, West Virginia, Virginia, Louisville, Missouri, Minnesota, Marshall, Georgia Tech, Miami, Arkansas, Duke, Florida and Wisconsin.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS
UCF won a very physical contest in Orlando versus injury riddled BYU....Stanford methodically defeated Wazzu...Wisconsin beat Indiana but seems quite vulnerable....OU got beat by Texas everywhere but the scoreboard, winning the Red River War, and the overhang of Ebola in Dallas did not seem to have an impact on game attendance....Even with the indefinite suspension of Heisman candidate tailback Todd Gurley, Georgia blasted a seemingly hapless Mizzou, and the Dawgs look top five on some occasions....In front of about 20K, the Canes blasted Cincinnati....West Virginia, behind FSU transfer Clint Trcikett, continues to outscore most folks, with losses to Alabama and Oklahoma....Iowa finally got rolling offensively....Minnesota, with their only loss at TCU, won at Northwestern, who had been playing well, and moves to 5-1....Duke upended Ga. Tech, who looked like the ACC Coastal front runner.....UNC played quite well at Notre Dame, but lost due to poor defense.....BC bombed NC State at Raleigh, which was not expected....Clemson los frosh QB Deshaun Watson to broken finger, and held on to beat Louisville on a goal line stand in the last minute. ... Purdue, black and gold, used helmets with florescent yellow and played Michigan State much better than anyone expected at East Lansing....Baylor got a big win versus TCU, scoring 24 consecutive points to overcome a 21 point deficit, and while they think they are a playoff contender, they gave up 485 yards and 58 points to defensive minded TCU....Okie State avoided an upset at Kansas, with Tyreek Hill saving the day with 100 yard KO return.... Alabama barely got by an improving Arkansas, but looked poor doing so only gaining 61 yards rushing with the bevy of talent they have at running back....Michigan got a much needed W at home against overrated Christian Hackenburg and Penn State....ECU had trouble beating So. Florida...Ole Miss had no problems at College Station, as the Landsharks ran rampant and corralled the Aggies... Arizona, riding high after upsetting Oregon, could not hold serve at home, losing to the USC Trojans.  Winning the fourth period 13-0 was not enough. 
Among improving teams I have noticed this year include Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Syracuse and Memphis.  Ole Miss and Mississippi State have already arrived.  LSU is also gaining strength, and will start 2015 in the top ten.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
The Cornhuskers were idle this weekend, and play at Northwestern next Saturday.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

Florida State is not playing like the top ranked team in the nation, but they are the big dog until someone knocks them down.  With Notre Dame coming to DOAK Saturday, we will learn more.

At an improved Syracuse, Florida State looked better offensively, establishing a decent running game behind Mario Pender and Dalvin Cook.  Both of these players are superior to Karlos Williams, a big back with blazing straightaway speed with little tackle breaking and yards after contact abilities.  Jameis Winston also utilized a slew of receivers, including veteran tight end Nick O'Leary and freshman Travis Rudolph.  The offensive line perhaps had their most cohesive game of the season, which was good with center Austin Barron having been lost for the season last week.  Jameis Winston was 30-36 for 317 yards, and was quite efficient. Defensively, the although there were some good individual plays by Eddie Goldman and Mario Edwards, Jr. the group seemed lethargic, lacking pressure from the edge.  Lorenzo Featherston is an emerging star, but as a group this area needs to step up quickly.  The defensive backs had their moments, particularly with Jalen Ramsey coming up with a big INT early, but the unit gave up way to many plays, even as though they appeared to have good positioning.  For FSU, their best football remains ahead of them.  One could make an easy case that FSU does not deserve the number one ranking, what with what is going on in Mississippi.  The case will be made one way or another next week.  We are fixin to find out.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Intellectual Squeeze


Excellent piece by Charles Hugh Smith via Zero Hedge, which presents clearly that as governments squeeze the top earners, who are also the employers, through taxation and regulation, it is in fact the middle class and lower income earners ( just the folks the rhetoric claims to attempting to help)  who pay the price.  Simply put, when you tax something, it produces less utility; or it cost more.
Charles Hugh Smith/oftwominds.com

It is simply to observe the lack of knowledge the low information crowd has in the realm of basic economic theory.  A classic example of this is the recent protests in front of fast food chains, demanding a higher hourly wage because the employer can supposedly afford it, rather than due to superior work performance by the employee.

Extra costs placed on corporations, or employers, are not just simply absorbed.  They place reductions on revenues, profits and limit choice, each of which negatively affects the consumer.  In fact, the pain is greater upon those who can least afford it; the low income/information crowd.

If the a large faction of the citizenry fails to recognize terrorist organizations of evil aiming the destruction of the US, we certainly cannot expect them to grasp basic economic principles.

Even at upscale and elite Harvard University, we have mind boggling levels of intellectual vacancies.


Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Treon Harris
After saving the Florida Gators on the road at Tennessee on Saturday, frosh QB Treon Harris is suspended for a potential domestic sexual assault. 

University of Florida President Bernie Machen issued a statement on the indefinite suspension of Harris, and given the political times we currently live in, that seems appropriate.

It is worth noting charges have NOT been filed, but in this boiling environment surrounding domestic violence, anybody and everybody is guilty until proved innocent.

I am a rival Seminole, so nobody at UF asked me, nor cares what I think.  But, given the current climate, I agree that Harris should be suspended pending completion of the investigation. I did not see it this way a little over a year ago when Florida State University did not suspend Jameis Winston pending completion of the investigation.  Unless you were against FSU, you did not either. 

This has not stopped the UF faithful from slinging barbs at the FSU brass, who are lacking leadership over the past year to be kind, in the aftermath of the allegations against Harris.

Domestic violence, particularly sexual assault, are very serious crimes.  If there is a positive to the recent slew of cases we have become aware of, it is that allegations in this area need to taken more seriously.  Thankfully, they are.

If found guilty, Harris should suffer the legal consequences of his action.

However, I do see a slippery slope I find most uncomfortable.  Many in the media, inclusive of the sports media which includes Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel, have loudly proclaimed Harris should never play another down at UF.  Should the allegations have merit, and Harris is charged, I have little doubt this will be the case.

It is noted that if he violated a code of conduct behavior matrix set by UF, they have every right to remove him from their team and university if deemed appropriate, for they are not bound by legalities for the privilege to represent the University of Florida.

However, major opportunities in life hang in the balance for Harris, and if he is not charged, he should be able to resume his career.  Perhaps the UF administration knows something I don't, but we seem to be swinging a big stick when the facts of the allegation remain uncovered, which will have a major affect on the life of Harris.

In the eyes of the media, and perhaps the UF brass who are taking great lengths to steer clear of potential bad press or protests, Harris seems guilty until proven innocent. Perhaps I am a growing minority, but at least for the time being, I thought in America, it was the other way around.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

BAHL's Babes: Michelle Fields

While character, education, perseverance are among the qualities for a successful career, beyond the qualifications and competencies, sometimes you have to keep surfing the waves waiting for your perfect opportunity.  For Michelle Fields, a 2011 graduate of the Waves of Pepperdine University, the opportunity was seized upon when presented. 













Fields gained valuable experience at Pepperdine, serving as president of the university chapter of Students For Liberty, while earning a degree in political science.

The wave Fields, representing ReasonTV, caught came in the form of a testy interview with actor Matt Damon over reform of teacher tenure.  Damon was intellectually outclassed by Fields, and many appropriately took notice.

Over at The Daily Caller, Editor in Chief Tucker Carlson, whom Rush Limbaugh affectionately refers to as Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., the invitation to join the staff was presented to Fields. Utilizing the combination of her intelligence and playful but skillful demeanor, she has excelled, gaining an escalating legions of admiring fans.




 






 
 
 
 
 
Fields has moved on from The Daily Caller. Currently, this emerging star is a frequent contributor on FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network and is a correspondent and host over at Next Generation TV, an online community for millennials and division of PJ Media.

It has always been my contention, that what separates a beautiful women from the others is the combination of beauty, brains and charming wit, which can be found in spades behind the intoxicating smile of Michelle Fields.

BAHL's Blog is proud to announce the lovely Michelle Fields as the latest addition to BAHL's Babes.
 
Michelle Fields/Photos via Flickr.com

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Counter Security

Lt. Col. Allen West, former republican Congressman from Florida, recognizes some very troubling facts regarding President Barack Obama and his leadership of the United States of America.  Back in August, West published on his website six examples of the Obama administration "purposefully enabling the Islamist cause".

It is unfortunate a large contingent of our citizenry is, as Aldous Huxley so brilliantly predicted, drunk on a sea of irrelevance; unwilling and/or unable to recognize the damage being done to our system of government.

With the media criminally negligent in failing to report the actual events taking place in various arenas, inclusive of the monetization of the debt, real unemployment numbers and engagements in international relations, it is increasingly difficult for the average citizen to make heads or tails of the going on.

As such, the citizenry relies on reported rhetoric rather than being able to decipher actions undertaken.   A determined examination of the actions of the Obama administration foreign policy in the middle east would lead the examiner to ponder decisions seemingly against previously established relationships, and as West noted, counter to the security of the United States of America.

Discarding the many false premises presented by the propagandist media and President Obama and his representatives, a non-biased look at the facts would find the conclusions drawn by Lt. Col Allen West as reasonable, credible, and sadly, true.

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.      Florida State, 5-0, 1
2.      Auburn, 5-0, 3
3.      Ole Miss, 5-0, 11
4.      Mississippi State, 5-0, 12
5.      Baylor, 5-0, 7
6.      Notre Dame, 5-0, 9
7.      Alabama, 4-1, 2
8.      Michigan State, 4-1, 10
9.      Texas Christian, 25
10.    Arizona, 5-0, NR
11.    Oklahoma, 4-1, 4
12.    Oregon, 4-1, 5
13.    Texas A&M, 5-1, 6
14.    Georgia, 4-1, 13
15.    Kansas State, 4-1, 21
16.    Clemson, 3-2, 19
17.    Oklahoma State, 22
18.    UCLA, 4-1, 8
19.    East Carolina, 4-1, 20
20.    Nebraska, 5-1, 14
21.    Stanford, 3-2, 15
22.    Arizona State, 4-1. 23
23.    Ohio State, 4-1, 24
24.    Georgia Tech, 5-0, NR
25.    Missouri, 4-1, NR

OUT:  Louisiana State, Brigham Young and Wisconsin.

VOTES: Louisiana State, Florida, Utah, Louisville, Iowa, Arkansas, Washington, Brigham Young, Marshall, Virginia, Southern Cal, Duke and Wisconsin.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

What an incredible Saturday of college football we had as our #2, #4, #5, #6 and #8 teams all lost, and #3 Auburn flexed muscle by blasting a down LSU team on the plains....We sold the stock on Rich Rod's Arizona Wildcats after they needed a Hail Mary pass to beat Cal, but the Cats rolled up into Eugene and dumped the high flying Oregon Ducks for the second consecutive season. Although Oregon has major OL issues, this was no fluke...Houston was en route to paydirt to beat UCF at the last second, but in an effort to reach the goal line, the ball was knocked lose, resulting in a touchback, giving the Knights the win. My Goodness....Louisville, injured at QB, defeated a pesky Syracuse at the Dome...Tennessee has numerous opportunities to beat Florida, but thanks to a stout D, the Gators hung around, got a spark from backup QB Treon Harris, and escaped Knoxville with a 10-9 win....Mississippi State unleashed some offense on the Texas Aggies, and ran and passed away with a resounding win over a team many thought was among the nations best. This was a huge win for Dan Mullin and his Bulldogs, and they look very strong.....Brigham Young QB Tayson Hill broke his leg shortly before the half, and BYU fell at home to Utah State.  Hill's season ending injury is a real blow to the Cougars...North Carolina is very disappointing, and got handled rather easily at home by Virginia Tech..Clemson destroyed NC State in Death Valley, and have found themselves a quarterback for the next few seasons to be sure.....Baylor controlled Texas, and the rebuilding of the Horns may take some time.....Let the rebuilding begin at troubled Michigan, who fell on the road at Rutgers, and for the Wolverines, the wheels appear to have fallen off...Northwestern, despite giving up over 250 yards rushing to the Badgers Melvin Gordon, won over Wisconsin, who have issues at quarterback and wideout....TCU outslugged OU at Fort Worth, knocking the Sooners from the unbeaten...Stanford was unable to protect a late lead in foul weather at South Bend, and Notre Dame remains unbeaten...Georgia Tech beat Miami in Atlanta, and has taken current control of the ACC Coastal....Memphis bombed Cincinnati, and don't look now but the Tigers are a pretty good football team....Kentucky upset South Carolina, and while the Wildcats under Mark Stoops are improving for sure, the Gamecocks now have three losses with some tough games yet to play....Arizona State scored on a Hal Mary pass to win at Southern Cal.....Virginia thumped Pitt...Utah, fresh off losing to Washington State, scored late to win at UCLA in a surprise... Cal outlasted Washington State 60-59, but Wazzu QB Connor Holiday threw for 734 yards, if you can believe that.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

If you did not see it, looking at the score, you would think the Seminoles blasted Wake Forest 43-3 at Tallahassee on Saturday.  That is not the real story.  Wake Forest is a decent team defensively, with a woeful offense.  FSU came out lackluster, again, and behind turnovers, fell behind 3-0.  The Seminoles continued to shoot themselves in the foot, but got some groove going offensively and were able to take a 13-3 lead at the half.  At one point, the Seminoles were averaging just under 6 YPP, with Wake a 1.7 YPP, but the game was tied.  That is what turnovers will do for you. LB Terrance Smith was held out of the game (coaches decision), and the Seminoles also lost center Austin Barron to a broken hand and All America wideout Rashaad Greene to a concussion early in the contest.  As the game wore, on FSU was able to establish a running game and began mounting points.  Defensively, the Seminoles prohibited Wake from running the ball, and placed extreme pressure on the Deacons young signal caller.  A slew of youngsters got serious playing time, and some are really looking good.  The talent of RB Dalvin Cook is on display, and young receivers Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph also got action.  Defensive end Lorenzo Featherston is a future star, and his play is very reminiscent of Nebraska DE Randy Gregory, a future top ten draft pick.  On a day when most of the top ten lost, an ugly win is quite alright.  In many ways, Florida State did not look like a top ranked team, but then again, in many ways the win was dominating.  The Seminoles need to continue to work and develop cohesion, as the talent is on hand.  FSU extends the win streak to 21, and provided they continue to grow, remains a strong contender for the championship.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

On a rainy, windy and cold evening in East Lansing, Nebraska had a chance for an early lead thanks to a Spartan turnover, but the Big Red failed to take advantage.  After an injury to corner Daniel Davie, Spartan QB Connor Cook hit WR Tony Lippett for a 55 yard TD for an early MSU lead.  But, it was beginning to unravel for the 'Huskers, as the previously potent rushing attack was getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Over and over again. Early in the second, MSU back Jeremy Langford broke lose for a 31 yard score and a 14-0 lead.  With the 'Husker OL unable to block anyone, the Big Red would have to establish some sort of passing game to release the pressure.  Injuries to the aforementioned Davie and senior receiver Kenny Bell were significant. On the stop side, DE Randy Gregory and the defensive line did their part, and are as advertised.  While Tommy Armstrong does some nice things and was playing tough, there was no room for errant throws and misfires, which sadly were sprinkled in with some very nice completions.  The misses were drive killers on a night with no wiggle room.  With Sparty on the cusp of humiliating the Big Red, leading 27-3, Nebraska got a few breaks, and a wonderful pun return touchdown from Demornay Pierson-El, and chipped the lead down to 27-22, which was unimaginable.  With the ball and a minute to go, Armstrong hit Alonzo Moore for 43 yards.  On the next play, from the MSU 37, Moore dropped a nicely placed pass from Armstrong in the end zone which would have won the game.  On the next play, Armstrong threw an unfortunate interception.  For the 'Huskers to win this game, they needed to be turnover free.  Instead, the 'Huskers had four, inclusive of a costly fumble by Ameer Abduallah inside the Spartan five.  With the performance last night, Abdullah is likely out of the Heisman discussion.  As far as Armstrong, he has his supporters, and I like a lot about him, but he is not where you need your quarterback to be if you want to win championships.  If Nebraska had Jameis Winston, they would have won as receivers were open all night.  The Big Red might just get another crack at Sparty, and if there is continued improvement in Armstrong, and some development of the offensive line, a B1G Title could be waiting.