Where’s the Outrage?

Division games are always hard to predict. Emotion plays a big part of the outcome. Turnovers are huge. On paper the Dallas Cowboys should route the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys are coming off of their most complete game, their victory over the New York Giants. The Washington Redskins on the other hand really had control of the Philadelphia Eagles but allowed that game to slip away.

How the Cowboys win: The Cowboys strike early with a couple of long passes down the field to Sam Herd or Patrick Clayton. The 2 quick scores will cause the Redskins ot get out of their old Skins style of football. They are forced to score points. Now, they are playing into the Cowboys hands. The Cowboys dime package intercepts a couple and the rout is on. Yeah, right, that is wishful dreaming. The reality of the game will be that the Redskins will somehow keep the game close. I’m guessing that the Cowboys will rack up stats but not points. The Cowboys will pass to set up the run. Look for excellent running by Jones and Marion Barber in the second half. I do believe that the Cowboys will try to jump on the Redskins early to take them out of their run game. The Cowboys defense will take an initial pounding then stiffen. The key to this game will be time. The Cowboys offensive line will have to give Tony Romo time to throw the ball. The Cowboys must stay out of 3rd and long. The Cowboys must stop Clinton Portis. If he is standing on the sidelines instead of running the ball, the Cowboys will win.

How the Cowboys lose: With parody, on any given Sunday any team can win. If the Cowboys revert back to the first half of last week’s game and commit drive sustaining defensive penalties and drive killing offensive penalties, it will be a long afternoon for the Cowboys. If Romo has flashbacks to the Buffalo Bills game and throws several interceptions, it will be a very long afternoon. Look for the Redskins to try to use their special teams to pick up a cheap score.  Finally, if the Cowboys defense is unable to win on first down so the Redskins have 2nd or 3rd and short, the Redskins will roll.

 

 Preview - Dallas vs Washington [3:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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When you look around the country there are several race based crimes that are really ugly.  The rally was to bring attention to the number of hate crimes in America.

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From CNN.com:

Thousands of demonstrators encircled Justice Department headquarters in the nation’s capital Friday to demand the government crack down harder on hate crimes.

“We have so many people, we surrounded the Justice Department and two blocks more,” the Rev. Al Sharpton told CNN as the orderly crowd marched around the building where newly sworn-in Attorney General Michael Mukasey was working.

“This is a real outcry, a real outrage from people around this country,” Sharpton said.  (more…)

 

 March against hate [2:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Civil Rights, Race by ecthompson
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The Cafferty Files with crusty Jack Cafferty looks at the Democrats latest attempt to withdraw troops from Iraq. As I discussed, I’m not sure where this latest attempt is going. I think that the Democrats believe that they have to convince the American public that they are trying. They want the public to believe that they are trying hard. When in fact their ultimate goal is to stall. If the Iraq war is still going during the election no matter who the Democratic candidate is, the War and National Security will be a Democratic issue. It will be a winner for the Dems. If they do not fund the war and there is a problem - an increase in violence, an attack on American soil, anything. The Dems believe that they will be blamed for the problem. So, they are kinda trying to end the war. In my opinion, if this is truly what is going on, it is immoral. People are dying. We can’t play politics with the war like the Republicans have.

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From WaPo:

Senate Republicans yesterday blocked Democrats’ latest effort to end the Iraq war, rejecting a $50 billion military funding package that would have required President Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

The 53 to 45 vote in favor of the bill fell seven short of the 60 votes needed and signaled that the contours of the war debate, now nearing its first anniversary, have barely changed. An alternative GOP proposal, which would have provided $70 billion with no strings attached, was rejected outright, 53 to 45. (more…)

 

 Caffery File - Troop Withdrawl [2:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq by ecthompson
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I have worked at a VA. This is retardedly common. Injuries that you and I would think would be obviously covered by the VA. Not so much. They aren’t covered. The other thing that the VA does is try to figure out how much are you disabled or how much are you hurt. These are 2 stories of Vets who any American from a distance of 1000 miles could see that they should be 100% service connected.

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From CNN.com:

Ty Ziegel peers from beneath his Marine Corps baseball cap, his once boyish face burned beyond recognition by a suicide bomber’s attack in Iraq just three days before Christmas 2004.

He lost part of his skull in the blast and part of his brain was damaged. Half of his left arm was amputated and some of the fingers were blown off his right hand.

Ziegel, a 25-year-old Marine sergeant, knew the dangers of war when he was deployed for his second tour in Iraq. (more…)

 

 Wounded Vets fight the VA [4:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Military by ecthompson
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There are some guys that just have the voice and the presentation.  A good slow jam is a tune that will last.  Always and Forever by Heatwave is one of those songs.  Luther and Teddy (if you don’t know who these giants were you need to study your RnB slow jams) had several tunes that could make the ugliest guy at the prom look passable.  Brian McKnight’s Anytime is one of these tunes.

 

 Brian McKnight - Anytime [4:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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Barack Obama has done okay in the debates. He isn’t a 2 minute guy. He puts together sentences, phrases and paragraphs that are inspiring. Dennis Kucinich seems to understand that he has 5 maybe 6 minutes in a 2 hour debate to capture the American people. He is a sound bite guy.

Anyway, this is more on my series of posts from Obama’s appearance on Meet the Press this past Sunday. One of Rudy Giuliani’s talking points is that none of the democratic candidates have done anything. They haven’t made a budget or made a payroll. Therefore they are unable or unqualified to be president. The Constitution really sets out the criteria for being eligible to become President in Article II, Section I - No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. It doesn’t say anything about being able to add and subtract or make a budget.  Remember that George Bush was supposed to be the CEO president.  He was going to run the country as a business.  The sad thing is that he has run the country just like Enron or Tyco.

I’m extremely disappointed in Tim Russert for repeating a Republican talking point.

 

 MTP - Obama - Track Record [2:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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I’m so tired of the media missing the mark on this presidential race.  “Doesn’t Hillary look impressive?”  “When Barack looks at Hillary he is staring down at her and that sends the wrong message to voters.”  What?  Yep, I just heard drivel like that on Chris Matthews.  He is supposed to be the political show.  His show is supposed to analyze politics.  This is crap.  Not analysis of the issues.

Dennis Kucinich is a professor looking guy who can only get an interview with a major network if he promises to bring his wife along.  He has been consistent.  He has said bring the troops home now.  He has said that Bush and Cheney have spit on the constitution and they should be impeached.  He hasn’t backed down.  Democratic pundits like Carville don’t even acknowledge that Kucinich is alive let alone in the House and running for president.

I haven’t committed to anyone but I do think that Wolf Blitzer and the rest of these media guys need to pull their heads out of the sand.  Let’s look at the issues.  Let’s  check the facts.  If a candidate is making stuff up, call him/her on it.  Finally, we need to get another forum.  Take 4 candidates on the Leher Hour and let’s let Gwen Ifill chat with them for 2 hours on Healthcare and Immigration.  The following night take the rest of the candidates and do the same thing.  Let’s get a discussion going.  2 - 3 minutes sound bites are useless.  For the Republicans do the same thing (Mitt Romney will probably start repeating himself after 30 minutes.)

 

 Kucinich impresses [0:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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I’m in the mood for love is a great tune.  It was a big hit for John Lee Hooker in the early 50’s.  Bonnie Raitt recorded the song with John Lee on the great album, The Healer.  There is a better video of this somewhere.  I remember seeing it on MTV/VH1 about 10 - 15 years ago.  I’ll keep looking.  In the meantime, enjoy.

 

 I'm in the mood [3:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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