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.

#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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Pieces Are Being Placed

As reported by FOX News, filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza was sentenced on two weeks ago Tuesday to five years of probation, a $30,000 fine, and eight months in a San Diego “community confinement center” where he will undergo “therapeutic counseling.”  No doubt, the ghost of Saul Alinsky will be acting counselor.

The reason we refer to D'Souza is because like few others, he has a clear understanding of who President Obama really is, what motivates him and what goals he has worked on at implementing during his presidency.  Time has found D'Souza to be most accurate, perhaps most notably the anti-Colonialism stance Obama inherited from his father and champions somewhat clandestinely. 

Why is this important at this juncture in time?  I am not sure you want to know.

Remember when President Obama returned the bust of Churchill, a gift to The White House, to Great Britain?  This action was not accidental or an error in judgement; this action was born out of a deep resentment, part of Obama's detest of the Colonialist policies of the England and France.

Behind that backdrop, Obama has, in reluctance, began bombing targets housing the lethal terrorist group ISIS, or ISIL, in Syria.  Sounds good, as we need to kill these representatives of evil in prompt fashion.

As NewsMax reported, President Barack Obama said Thursday's Senate vote to approve funding to train and equip Syrian rebels shows that Americans are united in fighting the Islamic State (ISIS).  The votes provides funding to train Syrian rebels, who may or may not be ready to take on ISIS.

Glenn Beck proposed the Obama administration is utilizing the ISIS threat to arm rebels whose ultimate goal is to overthrow Assad.  On the surface, toppling Assad, who is not a good guy, may be a reasonable objective, but their real story is real alarming.  Take a few moments to listen to Beck and his thoughts:



After absorbing this information for a few days, coupled with some investigation and study, the premise presented by Beck is deemed most credible. Beck was among the first, if not the only, to describe the goal of a caliphate in the middle east, and that is exactly where we are heading. 

I did not specifically recall the Sykes-Picot agreement. Essentially the old Ottoman Empire, the last time the Arab world had a united Islamic state led by a religious leader as Beck points out, was divided up into provinces or states that were to be under British and French control and influence to control and grow safe shipping lanes.  It was part of the agreement, however, where negotiated promises of the emergence of a kingdom united called Greater Syria failed to materialize, and this has led to Arab factions, enraged at being slighted, attempting seize control over the area to once again establish a single nation of under Islam; a caliphate.

Most of these groups are what we could consider to be terrorist in nature.  Those deemed non-believers who refuse to convert, are not given an opportunity to co-exist, but are labeled infidels and are most often killed.

Under the Obama administration, an objective of toppling dictators in this region opens up the avenues for upstart factions to effort to seize control and reach the goal of establishing the caliphate; a Greater Syria under the control of an Islamic religious leader.  Chaos has been the result thus far, not withstanding all the propaganda stating otherwise.  The events in Egypt are notably worth recalling.

Should a caliphate be established in the region, along the map of the old Ottoman Empire; if those in control operated without opposition this area, if not challenged, the mapping would not include Israel. Keep in mind there is little doubt of the hostility Obama holds toward Israel, and the Colonial powers of Great Britain and France. 

For those living under a tree, please be advised that Obama does not hold Uncle Sam in high regard either, having vowed to transform our nation, a nation he had noted is "based on a a charter of negative liberties, which says what the states can’t do to you, what the Federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf."

Define that as Obama finding America an oppressor nation, and although the premise is false, he aims to direct her transformation through efforts at level the playing field. 

Rather than misleading rhetoric, action dictates the marketplace, and Obama has had America orchestrate much of this mid east turnover and chaos, and turned a blind eye at a minimum to actions of countries and groups historically viewed as our enemies.

Last year, Obama spoke to the nation detailing how we must strike Syria and Assad as evidence pointed to their utilization of chemical weapons on their own people.  As it turns out, I believe, that was an orchestrated event hoping to win the minds of the American people and giving Obama the green light to take out Assad and open up Syria for the merchants of radical Islam.

Nobody bought it, and the imminent action failed to take place. The media failed to exhibit an ounce of intellectual curiosity as we quietly failed to take what would have been considered a seemingly appropriate action.

ISIS is now running roughshod over Iraq, having seized large tracts of territory, cash and our own abandoned military equipment, and they must be stopped.

Now, it does not seem our military has been specifically tasked with the destruction of ISIS ( is that not what you thought Obama finally engaged our forces to do? ), but rather to assist Syrian rebels who aim the overthrow of Bashar a-Assad. 

As Obama says, Assad must go. No, Mr. President, actually, ISIS must go.

Something is very wrong with this whole situation, and I fear many members of Congress are not up to speed with the historical significance of the Sykes-Picot agreement and I was not either, but thanks to the presentation by Glenn Beck and some research, it seems to all be alarmingly pieced together.

At one point just prior to Obama's regrettable election, we had the head of snake, Iran, in large measure surrounded.  Do you remember playing RISK?  Surrounding your enemy is good.

Now, under Obama's leadership, we are enabling enemies of state, arming terrorist organizations and helping to create the chaos necessary to fuel the flames of insurgency for those seeking freedom to overthrow vicious dictators, all of which escalates the power Iran yields.

You may think overturning these dictators is a worthy endeavor, and in many ways it is.  However, you must consider the ultimate objectives of the not only the fighters on the field, but those who organize their efforts.

As our Commander in Chief, we have the top dog in organization, but just what is he organizing?  It sure looks like a Greater Syria, where a united Islamic state can be once again ruled by a religious leader. In a sense, the Obama administration policies and ISIS have much the same goal, just approached in differing ways.

I do not have it all pieced together, but, although we are not playing RISK, I can recognize pieces are being placed.

Yeah, something is very wrong to be sure, and it is not workplace violence.

Whose Buying?

While there is a large contingent who despise such activity, I have always enjoyed respectful political discussion at the many local watering holes I frequent.  A recent topic engaged upon with one of my favorite participants is why, if we are indeed at war with the evil terrorist group ISIS, why has the Obama administration not thoroughly dismantled their main sourcing of finance; oil.

Furthermore, who are the buyers of this oil, and what are their motivations behind helping to finance this evil band of terrorists?   Curious George deemed this subject worthy of putting pen to pad, so therefore, BAHL'S Blog welcomes our third guest on this timely subject from Curious George:

    Are we at war with ISIS or not? This seems to be the question that The President, Congress and the press are bantering about as events play out in Iraq and Syria. Just for the sake of argument let's say that we are. This makes sense since we are dropping bombs on and shooting missiles at our enemies over there. Also let me say at the outset that I support these moves and whatever other military action we feel we need to take over there to defeat ISIS.

    Based on that premise let's take a look at the last war that we can arguably say we won, World War II. During that war, and the one before, we came to be introduced to what is arguably the age old concept of interdiction. No interdiction is not a term coined by the DEA during the war on drugs. In war, this is the concept of seizing or destroying your enemy's ability to rearm, re-enforce and resupply. This includes interdicting their commerce, their ability to sell goods to others to make money. This significantly effects their ability to replace their losses and to make war. In WWII, the allies bombed axis factories and attacked their shipping. Right after the disastrous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Secretary of the Navy issued issued a very short and direct order by radio to all US. Navy submarines operating in the Pacific. "Conduct unrestricted submarine warfare on Japan." This meant that any vessel flying the Japanese flag was a target. This order, and the effort that followed by our subs, came at our lowest point in the war. It was none the less very effective in greatly reducing the Japanese ability to make war and was a major factor in the eventual allied victory.

    Although I served in the military, I am far from an expert on warfare or for that matter, economics. But in light of all that I have seen, heard, and read; it would seem to me that the way to defeat an enemy in war is to 1) Kill them and root them from the ground they hold, and 2) as a second axis of war, interdict their resupply and commerce. In the past, these terror organizations finance infrastructure was underground and had o be investigated and rooted out. This is true of the terror state ISIS with regard to some of their financing activities. But with regard to the selling of "black market oil" we know what oil fields ISIS holds and we know that they are selling at rock bottom prices to folks who are close enough to send tank trucks to get it. Supposedly, from there, it "MAY" be going to refineries in Iran, Turkey, and to small refineries run by ordinary individuals. In addition, it has been rumored in the press that some of our EU allies have also admitted to buying ISIS black market oil. It should be noted that Turkey is also a NATO "ally", and examples of such activity have been presented in a piece at (The Daily Star, July 26th, 2014 article by Mazin Sidhmed, and an in a piece at Zerohedge.com by Tyler Dudren on 9/15/2014). It should be noted that Turkey has denied any involvement in ISIS oil smuggling operations.

    So who is buying? where is this oil going. Turkey? Oil rich Iran? Perhaps an EU "ally" like France, who has recently made comments against what is known as the petro-dollar according to the Durden article. In addition to these things, it has also been reported that sympathetic, (to ISIS), militia groups along the route are making money "protecting these shipments en-route. They are certainly no match for our air power. According to online reports, ISIS controls 11 oilfields in Iraq and Syria. We know where they are. From that information it is safe to assume that we also have the tank truck routes. Why we are not interdicting these shipments raises the question of who's interests are being protected here. We do not have to destroy the oil fields if we can stop the trucks, although I would never take the first option off the table because it might become necessary. The 'black market oil" is netting ISIS millions of dollars a day. Interdiction of these trucks would go a long way toward putting a serious dent in ISIS ability to make war. It would also fit in nicely with Obama's degrade and destroy philosophy. Take the war directly to ISIS and also destroy their ability to rearm and resupply. Why are we not doing this? Why only now is the mainstream press beginning to discuss it?

    As I stated above, I am far from an expert on economics and warfare. I'm just a taxpaying American citizen with a question, which to paraphrase Jimmy Buffett, bothers me so.

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

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

OUT: South Carolina (12) and Southern Cal (24).

VOTES: South Carolina, Southern Cal, Missouri, Florida, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Arkansas, Miami, Louisville, NC State, Marshall and Iowa.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

You have to give Arizona State some credit, as they fired it all cylinders against UCLA with a backup signal caller and has the Bruins gasping for air early, but Bruin QB Brett Hundley unleashed his own aerial attack and blasted the Sun Devils 62-27.....Oklahoma State scored a home victory over Texas Tech....Northwestern finally played up their potential and thoroughly outplayed Penn State in Happy Valley, and thankfully, we can put to bed all the Nittany Lion false hoopla and quit rhetorically elevating QB Christian Hackenburg into something he is not....LSU and Ole Miss cruised to easy wins, or did they, as they games looked more constested than the score may indicate, in preparation for big tilts next weekend....The woes at Michigan are significant, getting their ass kicked on the field and having empty seats in the Big House, which will likely spell the end of the Brady Hoke era....Kansas fired the first salvo, dumping Charlie Weiss after the Jayhawks failed to score in a home loss to Texas.  Not sure what happened to Weis, but his last two stints and Florida and Kansas have been awful....Much improved Kentucky under Mark Stoops got an SEC win...BC was living high off their stunning smashing of Southern Cal, but got beat at home Colorado State, which was a buzzkill to be sure....Yale upended Army in overtime....Terry Bowden's Akron Zips went to Pitt and stunned the Panthers in a shocker....Arkansas faded late, losing to the Texas Aggies in Jerry's World, but the Hogs are making good progress....With Todd Gurley resting through large portions of the game, Georgia outlasted an much improved Tennessee team between the hedges, with the Vols QB firing it all over the place even after having to sit out much of the third period due to a shoulder....Improved teams Colorado and Cal fought it out in OT at Berkley, with Cal coming out on top 59-56...Cincinnati had some moments, but got clobbered by Ohio State...Mizzou scored two late touchdowns and beat South Carolina....Clemson beat UNC, but gave up a lot of points in doing so.....The Miami Hurricanes beat Duke in a defensive struggle, but it was a good win for the Canes.  Next week has several strong contests.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

It was another afternoon of horrors at Carter-Finley Stadium for the Florida State Seminoles.  Thankfully, this time however, the Seminoles got out of there with a win over a supercharged NC State Wolfpack.  Given the way the Wolfpack played, opening up a 24-7 first quarter lead and piling up 520 yards and 41 points.  The 24 first quarter points put up by NC State were the most the Seminoles had even given up in that quarter.  Errors by proven veterans, inclusive of a drop punt catch by Rashaad Greene and a late interception by Jameis Winston, proved most costly for FSU.  The up tempo played by NC State put the FSU defensive unit in peril, and on most occasions the defenders had great difficulty in making tackles, primarily against Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett, a transfer from the Gators.  Brissett looked like Ben Rothlesberger in this contest, one time eluding several tacklers,scrambling toward the sideline to throw back across the middle in traffic to find a receiver for a score.  In the first half, FSU was again getting whipped up front, and was unable to run the ball.  When you cannot run the ball on offense, and cannot stop to opposing team while on defense, is it any wonder you would find yourself behind. However, behind  Jameis Winston, the Seminoles continued to score points. As the game went on, the Seminoles became more effective running the ball and were starting to get some stops on defense.  Excellent play from two freshman, Lorenzo Featherston and Jacoby Pugh helped immensely as the Seminoles won the last three quarters 49-17.  It is hard to imagine sweating out a game when you score 56 points, but it was a rough afternoon indeed.  FSU remains top ranked, primarily because their top competitors are also flawed, but it will be short lived if issues with the defense and the offensive line are not taken care of.  A win is a win, and the school and ACC record 20 consecutive winning streak remains in tact.  At least for now.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

Nebraska, behind yet another spectacular performance by running back Ameer Abdullah, blasted upstart Illinois on Homecoming.  The Cornhuskers, sporting a one time Red Rising alternative uniform, which by any measure, were God awful, looked good on offense, gaining 624 total yards.  However, as good as Tommy Armstrong can be, not a long perfectly thrown bomb to Kenny Bell, he can toss mind boggling interceptions with the best of them.  His completion percentages remains poor, but his running skills are elusive and timely.  The Big Red will need better play from him if they are to present themselves for B1G Champions.  The defense has some poor moments, but also looked dominating at times.  The DL was strong, and DE Randy Gregory is nothing short of fierce.  Illinois can throw it, and the secondary looked shaky at times, but also came up with some big plays.  After some early success, the Illini got stuffed by the Blackshirts most often.  As ESPN notes, Ameer Abdullah has a streak of 17 games with at last 100 yards from scrimmage, the longest active streak in the FBS and fourth-longest streak for a running back in the last 10 seasons.  We will find out quite a bit as Nebraska travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State next Saturday.  If Nebraska can protect the ball, I predict the Big Red will win rather easily.  That is a big if.

Be ROYAL

#Be ROYAL!


Eric Hosmer

For the first time since 1985, behind Eric Hosmer and former 'Husker Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals are playoff bound!  Along with George Brett, I celebrate.  #TakeTheCrown

Playing Ball

Derek Jeter

Without question, sports has always been deeply embedded in the fabric of our nation.  Lessons that are learned on the diamond, in the gym and on the gridiron assist participants in all aspects of their life. Discipline, responsibility, teamwork, perseverance, passion, work ethic and sportsmanship are among the many attributes on display.

Last evening at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter played his last home game in Yankee pinstripes in front of an adoring crowd.  Jeter, who had previously announced he would be retiring at seasons end, had been on a farewell tour which ended for the home crowd on this evening threatened by rain.

You see, this was special.  Jeter will not be considered the best Yankee of all time, as there are legends of the first order for this storied franchise, but Jeter is no doubt among the best.  However, it is worth noting that Jeter is representative of all the aforementioned attributes you can find in a player.

With the media focusing on so many stories about players in various sports who  are having difficulties like the rest of society, fans and parents can point to Jeter to see an example of doing it right.  Jeter, an instant Hall of Famer when eligible, is a class act, and what went on last night was story book.

Jeter hit a walk off single to score a run and give the Yankees a victory of AL East Champion Baltimore.  The Orioles players and staff did not seem to mind, as they were taken in by the events of the evening that put a smile on sports fans everywhere.  Jeter thanked and congratulated the Orioles.

For those who embrace the romance of the game, and those who appreciate the example Jeter set in the world of professional sports, we can all tip out hat to one of the best, Derek Jeter.


The Yankees are not my favorite baseball team, but I do like them and have great appreciation for their storied history.  My favorite team is the Kansas City Royals, with whom the Yankees had legendary battles with in the late seventies and early eighties.

It has been quite a long time since Kansas City was relevant in the game, owning the longest post-season drought in MLB, or any major sport for that matter.  But, behind Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer, the long drought appears on the brink of ending.

The Hunt for Blue October. My family and I really enjoyed attending a Kansas City Royals game a couple of weeks ago as they attempt to make the postseason for the first time since 1985. Alex Gordon hit a two run homer to knock of the Texas Rangers.

Optimism is high, and with another victory or two, the Royals will be in postseason.  I hop they can make it. #Be Royal #KCR

Kauffman Stadium at The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, Kansas City MO

Ante Up

Elisabeth Hasselback

A Facebook post, firing vile commentary directed at FOX & Friends co-host Elisabeth Haselback, alerted me that the progressive propagandists are stirring up the low information crowd once again.

On FOX & Friends, Hassleback hosted a conversation between two pundits about a proposal in Utah about young students having to pass a citizenship test.  Hassleback queried whether such a testing mechanism should be utilized before a citizen could vote, which is a legitimate inquiry.

With that question, Hasselback was described by the left as guilty of aiming to bring back Jim Crow laws, which would according to the author of the article linked in the Facebook post, supposedly hammer African Americans.  Hasselback's inquiry was not even remotely an attempt to suggest such a thing, rather an implication asserted by the author of the article. 

During the discussion on FOX, it was the pundit from the right, Whitney Neal, who found the idea of a test unnecessary, instead championing the idea of school systems investing in more educational opportunities in the arena of civics and government.  I agree completely.

It has been well chronicled, that although we continue to spend increasingly enormous amounts on public education, those investments are spent without receiving an adequate return on investment. 

Again in reference to Aldous Huxley, our citizenry, particularly a great deal of representatives of our young people in their high school and college years, are drunk on sea of irrelevance.  They know what the Kardasians are up to, who the new upcoming rapper on the scene is, but have no idea who their congressman is, or who the United States recently began bombing.

And they do not seem to care; with the lack of intellectual curiosity quite alarming.


On the subject of a minimum set of standards with respect to voting, I am open to investigating some options.  I cannot recall the exact source of the following quote, but is fixed firmly in the seat of truth.

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

With over 50% of the citizenry receiving some sort of governmental assistance, we have reached the point described in the above referenced passage.  Even if this was agreed upon as the proper direction for our government, the efforts are unsustainable for a country that is arguably insolvent.  For those who champion an increase in taxation as a remedy, it is noted the significant increase in taxation needed would fail to solve the issue anyhow, because when you tax something, you get less of it.

We are a free society, but there is a responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the United States of America, and it is clear the a large segment of our society is disengaged from the political process, which allows those in the arena of governance to expand control over the ill-informed.

Those of us who are informed are outnumbered by those who are not adequately educated in the process, and now by those who are receiving governmental assistance.  Many of these individuals and families are not in real need, just taking advantage of the system, which makes it more difficult to provide assistance to those who are in real need of help, a worthwhile endeavor.

Some skin in the game seems required.  To restrict voting to only those who own property seems limiting, and too radical as a criteria.  A testing system Hassleback queried about appears easily infiltrated by those with unsavory objectives. 

Perhaps the best qualifying mechanism would require that you are either a full time student, a senior citizen receiving social security having already paid into the system, sane individuals documented with legitimate handicaps, a member of the military or an individual who is employed and pays income taxes.  Individuals who fail to meet that criteria and receive governmental assistance would be ineligible. That would limit those voting to those who have skin in the game.

In addition, you must have an ID to vote.  This requirement is not racist, degrading, unfair or political in nature.  Adequate identification is required for many things, driving a vehicle of particular note, and would go a long way in the elimination of voter fraud.  One man, one vote.

Voting is perhaps the most important role of the citizen, and protection of the integrity of the process is integral to the efficiency of the process.

I say everyone ante up. What say you?