Good For The Bears

Anyone who knows me knows I will never root for the Bears or Cubs. My least two favorite teams in all of sports.

But I give the Bears a major thumbs up for cutting Tank Johnson today. The guy thinks he’s above the law, he’s obviously not very smart, and he thoroughly embarrassed an employer who had stood behind him much longer than they should, mainly because he’s a good football player, and as we know the NFL has long let being a “good football player” triumph over being a “responsible adult”.

So big ups to the Bears. I don’t want to hear the whiny “why don’t we wait for the toxicology report” BS. The idiot should have never put himself anywhere NEAR a situation like the one he just did out in Phoenix, given what he’s put the Bears through for the last year.

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An Idea

I see where the catholic church (or more correctly, the vatican) has released a “10 commandments” for driving, rules of the road, if you will.

I’ve got an idea…instead, how about if the church works harder to protect young alter boys from getting molested by pedophile priests and I’ll worry about my own driving. Sound fair?

Kewanee Wal Mart Less Gassy This Week

Here in Kewanee, we’ve just lost our “Murphy USA” gas station, located, like all Murphy stores, on Wal Mart property. At first, I thought it may have been a failure for Wal Mart, which would bring great joy to most of the world. But it turns out that Murphy, starting in May, has begun purchasing the land from Wal Mart for each of their stations, after having previously just leased space from the Uber-Giant-Evil-Empire Corporation. With that announcement came the corresponding notice that 47 Murphy USA stores would be closing. Kewanee turned out to be one of them.

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…And The Award For “Least Surprising Headline of All Time” Goes To…

…the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, for this little gem today:

 White House Defends Cheney

Of course they do. This guy could murder someone in cold blood during a press conference, and the rest of “the White House” would defend him and say he didn’t do it.

In this case, he didn’t murder anyone, or even shoot  anybody in the face, but he is being defended for his continued tongue-sticking-out-at-the-law.

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1263987.html

My favorite line from the story:

“He’s not exempt from following the laws of the United States,” Perino said. “He’s exempt just from this reporting requirement in this particular executive order.”

Huh? Anyway, read the story, it’s a hoot.

“…and 2007 continues to lead 2006!” (crowd roar) NOTE: Updated June 23

They just ought to erect a scoreboard and hang it from the Murray Baker Bridge:

“…well, Biff, as the clock runs out on spring and we head officially into summer this weekend, it looks like 2006 has some work to do to get back in this one.”

“right you are, Cotton, but 2007 sure looks strong and we’ve got only 1/2 a year to go!” 

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/062107/TRI_BDIH89RK.013.php 

Plus, we just added another one Saturday. Impressive. Not.

Stupid Bet, Bert

Here’s what happens when a former player turned best TV analyst in the game bets the best pitcher in baseball that he can’t throw a shutout.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/foxsports.htm?g=e8a17c22-6c44-422c-a44c-70dbb1f8abf9&f=33&fg=copy

Bert Blyleven will now sport a shaved head. Thanks, Johan, it’s a good look for him!

Sometimes Even The Worst Organizations Make The Right Move

The Cubs have just sent Michael “Rockhead” Barrett to San Diego for some cash and a backup catcher. Talk about addition by subtraction. Now, they’re just a dumping of Kerry Wood away from another positive move for team chemistry.

Not A Very Smart Person

On the same edition of Hannity and Colmes that I saw the report about Broward County, they had something called a “Dan Senor” on to discuss Iran.

 ”Dan Senor”, another idiotic chickenhawk who wants to drop everything and bomb Iran right now, and who never himself served, went on and on and on about all the things Iran is to blame for in Iraq, Isreal, Lebanon and everywhere else right now as if it’s established fact and his word is law. This, of course, on the heels of the recent replacement of(wonder why) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Pete Pace, who went on record in February as saying there was no evidence that Iran was supplying Shiite fighters with bombs and ammunition.

Senor spent 10 minutes wagging the dog, Hannity conveniently kept his mouth shut for most of it, but Colmes (amazingly) fought back pretty hard.

Tell ya what, “Dan Senor”, whatever you are, you get a uniform, a helmet, and a rifle, and you go ahead and lead the charge into Iran if you’re so sure. Quit talking out of your butt and put that butt in the line of fire, ok?

Not Very Smart, People

So the Broward County, FA, Commission, made up of all Democrats, want to force station WIOD in Miami to drop Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Guess how they want to do it? WIOD has long been the official hurricane warning station in Miami. It is low on the AM dial (610), and has a powerful signal. That combination is hard to beat, because powerful signals on the low end of the AM dial travel better than those on the high end.

Well, the County Commission is threatening to take away that “official” status from WIOD, balking at renewing an agreement between the county and the station, unless they take Limbaugh and Hannity off the air.

I’m a Democrat. Anyone who reads this blog knows I am. And this is simply stupid. Government has no business telling private radio stations what they should or should not air. But this is even worse. Telling the most powerful station, the station that people COUNT on for emergency weather updates in that city, that they can’t have that status? Now you’re just messing with people’s safety, and that’s ludicrious.

As I’ve told my Dem friends over the years…let Limbaugh and Hannity lie all day long on as many stations as they can get…eventually their welcome will be worn out, their schtick will get old, their followers will open up their eyes to the truth (okay, that one is doubtful), and they’ll be gone.  But you can’t censor them in the way that this Florida County Commission is doing. It’s wrong. And it’s embarrassing.

PJS Writes A Poor Headline After A Poor Report From Police

My first reaction to the story about the 25-year old who died on his motorcycle the other night is the sadness I feel for the family who lost a loved one way too young. My second reaction is, upon reading that he was not wearing a helmet, frustration that people can’t get it right, both bikers AND lawmakers.

My third, and probably my strongest, reaction is a bit of anger at the police AND the Journal Star for the misleading and incorrect headline to the story:

“Excessive Speed MAY Have Caused Crash”

Um, yeah, maybe so. But I could just as easily add the words “or may not” right after “may” in that headline and it would say THE SAME THING.

It’s a generic headline with no real evidence or making no accusation against “excessive speed”, but it is a headline that immediately skews the readers’ opinion as to what might have happened.

And I blame the police for making the statement. When it doubt, blame it on speed, right? In reality, it may have been a malfunctioning suspension on the bike, or a blown tire, or a slick spot on the road, or a small animal darted in front of him, or he struck a large enough stone on the roadway to disrupt the bike…all of these things, and just like excessive speed, MAY be true. But they only say that “speed MAY be to blame”.  To which I say…or it MAY not.

I’m not condoning “excessive speed” while helmetless on a motorcycle. Nowhere in my post do I do that. (That was for Mouse, to preempt any comment in that vein). But what I’m condemning is the poor choice of words used by both the agency that reported the accident to the media, and the media outlet that chose the headline. 

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Wanna See Something Fun?

Head to Bloomington tomorrow night. I’ve never been much of a fan of football, let alone indoor football, but I do appreciate the skills and physical sacrifices required to play the game. It’s not easy to be a football player. 

I agreed to be the Public Address announcer for the Bloomington Extreme this season first and foremost because I love working for the guys that run the show in the beautiful new U.S. Cellular Coliseum. But now I find myself becoming a fan. 

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Team Pathetic

Not a lot of talk coming out of Billy and Mouse about the Cubs lately. Let’s check the standings…

Cardinals, 23-29, 2nd place in baseball’s lamest division

Cubs 22-30, 4th place (and only 2.5 games out of last) in baseball’s lamest division, and now fighting each other in the dugout because their overrated “ace” (and tremendously hot headed) pitcher got upset at his overrated (VASTLY overrated), sucker-punch throwing, chicken-bleep, no talent hack of a catcher.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. With all due respect to the defending champion Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals, the doormat of the BEST division in baseball (you know the one, with the Twins, Tigers, White Sox and Indians) would be in a position to WIN the NL Central. Who wouldn’t relish the chance to play Cincy, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Team Pathetic (Cubs) all those times?

The Cubs suck. Again.   

Comment from Mouse forthcoming.